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With Ruben Amorim reportedly set to show Alejandro Garnacho the Old Trafford door, Manchester United are reportedly seriously keen on signing a rising star to replace the winger this summer.

Amorim to show Garnacho the door

From one of Erik ten Hag’s most influential players, Garnacho has become someone who looks destined to head for the exit door under Amorim amid disappointing form and Manchester United’s PSR problems. In a campaign to forget, the 20-year-old has scored just four Premier League goals and one assist in what sums up the struggles of United’s frontline.

Amorim hasn’t shied away from criticising the young Argentine either, telling reporters earlier this week: “Garnacho needs to improve the way he runs, the way he defends, scores and assists. He is improving. He is doing the right things. Like any player in our team, he has to choose better in the last third. Bruno is the only one scoring goals easily.”

Related Imagine him & Bruno: Man Utd make "best ST on the market" their top target

Man Utd are on the search for a striker this summer

Posts 1 ByJoe Nuttall Apr 6, 2025

It’s a relationship that has been on the rocks ever since the former Sporting Club boss arrived and dropped Garnacho for the Manchester derby and now one that looks likely to come to a bitter end when the summer arrives.

INEOS could certainly do with the spending power potentially gained by selling the Argentine too, with Napoli reportedly submitting a bid worth over £60m to secure his signature in recent days and Amorim ready to show the winger the door.

Such a sale would allow the Red Devils to go in pursuit of some much-needed reinforcements of their own amid links to the likes of Mike Maignan in recent weeks. The shot-stopper is one of the best in his position and could bring an end to Andre Onana’s nightmare spell between the sticks at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, United could also land an instant replacement for Garnacho this summer who has looked destined for big things in South America.

Man Utd seriously keen on Ian Subiabre

According to journalist Sebastian Sur, Manchester United are now seriously keen on signing Ian Subiabre from River Plate this summer but are joined by Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City in the race to secure the teenager’s signature.

Still just 18 years old, Subiabre is not a talent that the Red Devils will want to miss out on – especially to a Premier League rival. The young Argentine is certainly full of confidence, having previously talked up his talents, saying: “I’m a powerful, high-scoring striker. And strong in one-on-one situations. I like to drop back to link up with my teammates and provide assists. I can also play on the right or left wing.”

The likes of analyst Ben Mattinson haven’t shied away from praising the teenager either, dubbing him a “technical winger” at the beginning of last year. After scoring seven goals and assisting another eight last season too, it’s fair to say that Subiabre is exactly that.

Smith made a big play for the role last season but it remains uncertain if he’ll do it against India

Alex Malcolm17-Sep-20242:39

‘I’ll bat anywhere the team wants me to’ – Steven Smith

It’s the major debate in Australian cricket: will Steven Smith be Usman Khawaja’s opening partner for the Border-Gavaskar Test series against India in two months?Australia’s exit from the T20 World Cup in the Super Eight phase did not gain much traction back home, nor has there been a fervent following of the current white-ball tour of the UK for insights on the future direction of the T20I side or hints on how the ODI World Cup-winning side will look without the retired David Warner ahead of the Champions Trophy next year. There is still eight ODIs and three T20Is before Australia play Test cricket again.Related

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Travis Head is not the answer to Australia's Test opening problem

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Cameron Green out of remainder of England ODIs with back injury

But such is the nature of how Australians follow the men’s team, the long-term replacement for Warner in the Test side is of significant interest. Smith’s four-match run as an opener has been roundly picked apart. Team-mates, former players, commentators, columnists and fans have, with the exception of the odd voice, said he should be moved back to No. 4 despite Smith being the one who requested to open in the first place.Smith’s move allowed Cameron Green to return to the side at No. 4 and he responded with a match-winning 174 not out against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in March. Smith, however, endured a difficult tour of New Zealand as an opener. Having made 91 not out in his fourth innings in the role against the West Indies in January, proof in his own words that he could succeed in the role, he returned scores of 31, 0, 11 and 9 in Wellington and Christchurch on pitches that were very helpful for new-ball bowlers.Steven Smith made 91 against West Indies but had a lean time in New Zealand•Getty ImagesHis comments on the opening position since have been noteworthy. Back in January, he spoke about a desire to open to give himself a fresh challenge late in his career and suggested that he was in for the long haul. Since then, he hasn’t explicitly backtracked, but he did publicly note Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne’s comments about their preference for him to return to No. 4. Khawaja was particularly pointed this week in doing Smith’s bidding.”He’ll just probably never say it, so I’ll say it for him,” Khawaja told . “Opening is a very important spot … I still think we have the best Test player of my era in the side, in Steve Smith, and his best spot has been No. 4. I feel like the best balance for our team is Labuschagne three, Smith four.”It puts Australia’s selectors in a bind. Coach Andrew McDonald said on last week that no decision had been made and discussions were ongoing, although he reinforced that, barring injury, the incumbent top six from the New Zealand series would remain as the top six for the first Test against India. There will likely be an indication of the plans when the multi-format players are available for Shield cricket next month.So, if it’s not Smith who opens alongside Khawaja, which it still could be, then who is it?Marnus Labuschagne’s moving up one spot could be an option•Getty ImagesMarnus LabuschagneThis represents the simplest and least disruptive option to the current status quo, although it doesn’t get Smith back to No. 4. Labuschagne and Smith could simply swap positions in the order. Labuschagne has opened 15 times in first-class cricket including as recently as May this year when he made 111 for Glamorgan against Middlesex. He has as much experience opening in first-class cricket as Smith, Green, Travis Head, and Mitchell Marsh combined, with Green and Marsh having never done it.Labuschagne only averages 34.86 opening in first-class cricket but he has scored two centuries, including one at the WACA back in 2016 when he was still trying to establish himself as a first-class player. He’s also walked out to bat eight times in Test cricket with his team yet to score and countless other times in the opening overs.Smith has eight Test centuries batting at No. 3 and averages 67.07 in that spot, higher than his 61.50 at No. 4, but he has not batted there since 2017. Part of Smith’s desire to open was driven by the fact he had become frustrated by waiting too long to bat at No. 4 and first drop could be a comfortable halfway house for him. It would also mean that Green, Head and Marsh stay in their preferred spots at Nos. 4, 5 and 6.But moving Labuschagne up from No. 3, where he has 11 Test centuries and averages 51.78, to open only to get Smith back to No. 3 might not appease the masses let alone Smith, Labuschagne and Khawaja.Giving Cameron Green a chance to settle in the middle order would appear the preferred outcome•Getty ImagesCameron GreenThere was a brief period prior to Warner’s retirement when there was a very real possibility that Green could open the batting. Green was preparing for it, spending time with batting coach Michael Di Venuto facing the new ball during Warner’s final Test in Sydney when the allrounder was running the drinks. The selectors were seriously weighing up the option in their desire to pick their best six batters and add a sixth bowling option. Green was only spared the monumental task when Smith put his hand up.Moving him to open just two Tests after he made a career-defining 174 not out at No. 4 in Wellington seems an undesirable option. Former Australia allrounder Shane Watson said earlier this year that Green had the skill to do it, with Watson having done it successfully as an allrounder. But captain Pat Cummins is already bracing for his two allrounders in Green and Marsh to have heavier bowling workloads in an intense and condensed five-match series against India.Asking Green to add the opening role to his heavy portfolio would limit his bowling availability. Green is also on record stating that No. 4 is his preferred position, having dominated in that role for Western Australia, saying he feels a lot more comfortable there than he does at No. 6.Could Travis Head carry is blazing strokeplay to the top of the order?•Getty ImagesTravis HeadKhawaja has nominated Head as the best option to partner him and allow Smith to move back to No. 4. It is a theory that is gaining legs publicly, particularly given Head’s white-ball wizardry at the top of the order and that he has opened the batting in Test cricket in India. But Australia’s selectors made it very clear at the time that it was a horses for courses move to allow Head to try and get his side off to a rollicking start in conditions where the new ball rarely shifts sideways and there is very little extra bounce.Head’s mediocre record starting against spin in the subcontinent was also a factor. He was shifted back to No. 5 the moment Australia left India and immediately pounded 163 in the World Test Championship final against the same opposition. Head could well open the batting in Sri Lanka later in the summer, but the selectors clearly prefer his counterattacking brilliance at No. 5 in home conditions.Head was asked last summer about potentially opening ahead of Warner’s farewell and said his preference was to remain at No. 5 in Australian conditions, although it is unknown whether his stance has shifted.It is understandable how Head has become a viable candidate in many people’s eyes given his dominance at the top of the order in limited-overs cricket over the last 12 months. But it needs to be remembered that’s Warner’s ability to translate a devastating limited-overs opening record into becoming Australia’s most prolific Test opener in history made him a unicorn in Australian cricket. Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist were outstanding ODI openers but remained counterattacking middle-order players in Test cricket for good reason.There is one global example that could give Australia’s selectors pause to consider Head as a full-time opener. India’s Rohit Sharma started his first-class and Test career as a middle-order player while being a powerhouse at the top in white-ball cricket. Now he has carved out an excellent Test record as an opener in all conditions. Moving Head would allow Smith to move back to No. 4 and Green can slot in at No. 5 where he also has an outstanding first-class record.Mitchell Marsh’s counterattacking has been key at No. 6•AFP/Getty ImagesMitchell MarshThe case against both Green and Head also applies to Marsh. The West Australian has also made it very clear he would not be comfortable moving to the top of the order after taking so long to find his happy place at No. 6. He was Australia’s most consistent Test batter last summer and rescued the side time and again with bold counterattacking innings coming in at four-down.He has also been explicit in saying that his technique is not suited to batting any higher in the order, let alone against the opposition’s best fast bowlers with a brand-new ball in seaming and bouncing conditions. Marsh’s record in Shield cricket is testament to that where he remarkably averages just 29.98 for WA across 95 innings and has never batted higher than No. 5.Like Green his bowling will be important across the summer, but his body is more fragile than Green’s and will need even more management and rest. It is for that reason he could potentially not bowl a ball on Australia’s 11-game white-ball tour of the UK.Like Head, Marsh’s form against the new ball in white-ball cricket has led to calls to use him at the top of order in Test cricket to accommodate Smith moving back down. Marsh would do anything for the team and would give it his best shot if he was asked to do it, but it is unlikely the selectors would put him in that position given they are getting career-best form out of him.

34-year-old fast bowler gave away just one boundary and dismissed Rohit, Kohli, Pant

Matt Roller09-Jul-2022″They’re all human, at the end of the day,” Richard Gleeson told ESPNcricinfo last week, about the prospect of bowling to Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant on his England debut, at the age of 34. On Saturday at Edgbaston, he dismissed all three of them in the space of four balls.England’s second defeat to India in three days – by a near-identical margin, by 49 runs after losing by 50 at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday – was a chastening one, their seventh loss in their last nine T20Is dating back to their final group game at last year’s T20 World Cup against South Africa.Related

• Late-blooming Richard Gleeson relishing his England shot

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But there is a balance to strike in bilateral T20I series: is winning more important, or learning? Jos Buttler said he was “very disappointed” with the defeat but with Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood all due to return in time for the World Cup later this year, the side will look significantly different in Australia in October.Heading into this series, England’s main problem area had been death bowling: they have been one of the most expensive teams in the world at the back-end of the innings over the last two years. Gleeson’s selection was primarily intended to address that issue, after he nailed his yorkers for Lancashire in the T20 Blast this year.In fact, he was most destructive while the ball was still relatively new. Buttler brought him into the attack with India 43 for 0 after four overs and Rohit and Pant both set. He generally bowled just short of a good length, looking to hit the splice of the bat, and hit speeds of 89mph/144kph – though generally operated in the mid-80s.

“If you’d have said when I was 27 and starting out in pro cricket that I’d be playing at 34 for England, I never would have imagined it.”Gleeson to the BBC after his T20I debut

His second ball disappeared over midwicket for four, but it was the only boundary that he conceded across his four overs. To his fifth ball, Rohit looked to give himself room to hit through the off side but Gleeson followed him, rushing him for pace, and Buttler ran back to pouch his top edge on the edge of the ring.With the first two balls of his second over, the seventh, Gleeson hit a good length to Kohli, who looked to swing him over midwicket; Dawid Malan ran back from backward point, diving to take a superb catch after his thick outside edge. Pant, like Rohit, looked to give himself room but Gleeson cramped him for room, inducing a thin edge through to Buttler.Eight balls, three wickets – and three of the biggest in international cricket, in terms of reputation. Eight months ago, Gleeson’s career was on the line as his slow recovery from a back stress fracture left him staring at the prospect of retirement. Unlike most international debuts, there was a sense that Gleeson had a shot to nothing.0:54

Giles: Realistically England were never in the chase

The rest of his spell was impressive, too, not least the pace he generated: he bowled four consecutive dot balls to Hardik Pandya, then five in six balls to Dinesh Karthik with one wide in between as he hit a hard length, eschewing the yorker-heavy strategy that had earned him his place. His figures, 3 for 15 in four overs, were the second-best by an England bowler on men’s T20I debut.”I’m happy with where my speed is,” he said. “This year, I’m probably bowling a little bit quicker. [England selection] wasn’t on my radar: it was just to play the highest standard that I could. I just want to keep playing cricket and enjoying it, and playing for as long as I can. Who knows, if I keep performing, anything could happen.”I’ll do whatever role I get. It was different today but I was biting at the bit to get hold of the ball on debut and settle the nerves. My natural go-to is hard lengths, then some yorkers and slipping in some bumpers every now and again. Hard lengths, especially on that wicket today, was the way to go.”Gleeson’s contract with Lancashire expires in a week’s time after T20 Finals Day in the Blast but he will now have a T20 World Cup spot on his radar: “You want to play in the big occasions, don’t you?” he said, “so why not?” In the short term, he has done enough to merit opportunities against South Africa in the T20Is at the end of this month.Gleeson’s journey is remarkable – not only his late entry into the game, but his ability to overcome consecutive fallow years due to the back injuries that threatened to end his career. He had to ask his employers, Myerscough College in Preston, for permission to play in this series; his BTEC students will give him a hero’s welcome when he returns to work next week.”If you’d have said when I was 27 and starting out in pro cricket that I’d be playing at 34 for England, I never would have imagined it,” he told the BBC. “It just goes to show that if you keep persevering and you keep believing in yourself, you never know what can happen.”

And who is the first Test cricketer to climb Mt Everest?

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2020How many can you get right in our quiz on firsts in cricket?

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman excited the club's fanbase by importing seven players at the trade deadline, including three high-leverage relief pitchers to aid a bullpen that's been among the league's worst over the course of the last month.

Two of those relief pitchers, Jake Bird and David Bednar, made their debuts for the Yankees during Friday's game against the Miami Marlins. Let's just say it didn't exactly go according to plan.

Bird entered the game with a 9-4 lead and promptly loaded the bases with a pair of singles and a walk. Then, Bird missed badly with a sinker out over the middle of the plate to Marlings power-hitting outfielder Kyle Stowers, who belted it for a grand slam to make it a 9-8 ballgame. The Yankees then turned to Bednar, who they hoped would quickly put an end to the inning and preserve the club's lead.

Instead, Bednar surrendered the game-tying home run and a go-ahead RBI single. Fortunately, the Yankees tied the game in the top of the eighth inning and Bednar settled in for a scoreless frame in the bottom half.

The Yankees scratched a pair of runs across in the top of the ninth and handed the ball to another new reliever in Camilo Doval, hoping the trade deadline pickup could shut the door on a victory. But the nightmarish night for the Yankees continued, as Doval allowed two baserunners on after getting the first out of the inning. Then, the Yankees righthander allowed a single to right field, which rolled under right fielder Jose Caballero's glove, allowing the tying runs to score.

The Marlins then won the game on an unplayable slow roller between Doval and catcher Austin Wells.

Mousa Dembélé is a star who exceeded all expectations during his time as a Tottenham Hotspur player, with the Belgian one of the most underrated players in their history.

He would go on to rack up a total of 249 appearances during his seven-year spell at the club, often catching the eye with his physicality and dazzling feet.

Despite his massive frame, you wouldn’t expect a player to easily get past the opposition, but Dembélé used to glide past his men in North London – with many of his former players singing his praises.

However, since his departure in 2019, the first-team have lacked the dominant and ball-playing option at the heart of the side, but that could be about to change in January.

With the window now on the horizon, Thomas Frank is starting to draw up a list of players who could improve the options at his disposal in the middle of the park.

Spurs’ hunt for a new midfielder in the January window

Over the last couple of days, Spurs have been one of the Premier League clubs linked with a potential winter deal to land Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba.

Manchester United were massively touted with a deal to land the Cameroonian international in the summer, but were massively put off by his £100m valuation.

The same could be said for Frank’s side in January, with the Lilywhites wanting to land the 21-year-old, but are unwilling to fork out the current asking price for his signature.

However, he’s not the only midfielder in their sights at present, with Atlético Madrid talent Conor Gallagher once again appearing on their radar ahead of the upcoming window.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Englishman is available for a fee in the region of €60m (£52m) next month, with Fabio Paratici wanting to fork out such a fee for his services.

It also states that the player himself could be keen on a move back to the Premier League, but Diego Simeone’s side will only sanction a move if the asking price is met.

How Gallagher compares to Dembele

Spurs have often formed numerous rivalries in the Premier League over the years, with Chelsea just one of the sides in which they have had many fierce contests with.

Frank Lampard was a player who regularly starred against the Lilywhites, often leaving the fanbase wishing they had their own version of the English midfielder.

He featured against the club on 41 separate occasions, winning 22 of which and only losing eight times – often providing the difference in the London derby.

The now-retired star scored ten times within the aforementioned meetings, the third-best record against any time in his professional career – further showcasing his impact against Spurs.

Mixing a player of Lampard and Dembélé’s quality is always going to be a difficult ask, but it’s one that Gallagher has managed to do during recent months in Madrid.

He’s been a dominant player for Simeone’s men in LaLiga, with his underlying stats from the 2025/26 campaign showcasing his incredible ability at both ends of the pitch.

Gallagher has won 2.5 tackles and made 1.6 interceptions per 90 this season, with such numbers showcasing his dominant ball-winning presence that Dembélé possessed.

Games played

15

Goals & assists

1

Pass accuracy

88%

Shots taken

1.4

Progressive carries

2.7

Progressive passes

3.9

Tackles made

2.5

Interceptions made

1.6

Carries into opposition box

0.9

He’s also made 0.9 carries into the opposition box as part of his 2.7 progressive carries per 90, another component of his game that the Belgian demonstrated in North London.

However, his ability in possession has also caught the eye, with England U21 manager Lee Carsley previously stating that the midfielder is just “like Lampard”.

Gallagher has completed 88% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with 3.9 of which per 90 going into the final third – something which Lampard became known for with the Blues.

His crashing nature also handed the Spurs fans numerous moments of anguish, something which the Atletico star has demonstrated with his tally of one goal and 1.4 shots per 90.

£52m may appear to be a huge investment in the former Blues star, but his all-round stats in Spain’s top-flight this season showcase his elite-level output at both ends.

Should he merge the levels achieved by Dembélé and Lampard in the Premier League, it would be a stellar signing and one that can take Frank’s side to the next level.

Saved by Romero: Frank must bin Spurs flop who had fewer touches than Vicario

Tottenham Hotspur were fortunate to walk away with a point against Newcastle United last night.

2 ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

Arsenal got back on track in the best way possible on Wednesday night: dismantling Club Brugge 3-0.

Sure, there were moments in which the Belgian side looked dangerous, but in the end, it was a commanding performance from Mikel Arteta’s side, and one that saw them maintain their 100% record in the Champions League.

Moreover, there were some brilliant performances from players who needed to step up, such as Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli.

However, one starter who didn’t and is now in real danger of slipping further down the pecking order at Arsenal is Viktor Gyokeres.

Gyokeres' season so far

There was quite a bit of excitement among the fan base when Arsenal finally signed Gyokeres in the summer, in part because of the saga surrounding the move, but mostly because of his unreal record in Portugal.

After all, in just two seasons, the Swedish “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, racked up a tally of 97 goals and 28 assists in 102 appearances, totalling 8417 minutes.

That comes out to a simply staggering average of 1.22 goal involvements every game, or one every 67.33 minutes, so to say that there was a level of expectation coming into this season would be fair.

Unfortunately, so far anyway, the Stockholm-born international has not really lived up to it.

Now, he’s certainly not been terrible, unlike some other Swedish strikers who moved this year, but his return of six goals in 18 appearances is some way off the numbers fans were hoping he’d put up.

Moreover, while some of the blame has to fall on his teammates for not creating enough clear-cut chances, the 27-year-old still has to get into dangerous positions more often and hold up the ball better.

The game on Wednesday night was one of his worst performances in this regard, as he offered practically nothing on or off the ball, taking just 12 touches and completing only five passes.

With all that said, there is still time for the previously prolific striker to come good. Still, he’s going to have to start improving quickly, as there is now another player in the squad who could leapfrog him in the pecking order, someone who has been compared to Thierry Henry in the past.

Arsenal star is bad news for Gyokeres' Emirates career

The unfortunate situation for Gyokeres is that, injuries permitting, he has some serious rivals for that starting striker spot.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

There is, of course, Kai Havertz, who chalked up 15 goals before his season was ended by injury last year and then the man who has been scoring in for fun in 2025, Mikel Merino.

However, Wednesday night heralded the return of a third rival, someone plenty of fans had essentially written off in the summer: £45m man Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian made his return to first-team action 322 days after suffering an ACL injury, and while he didn’t score against Club Brugge, he looked lively.

In fact, in his 30-odd minutes of action, the former Manchester City ace looked far more threatening than Gyokeres did, taking two shots on target and another that hit the woodwork.

Moreover, he took eight more touches than the Swede, played a key pass, completed 14 passes and helped to link up the play in a way that made the team look far more fluid.

Now, he did play against a tired defence, and it’s probably too early to say he should be in from the start in the next game, but the 28-year-old is now a serious contender for that role, as when he’s fit, he’s a threat.

Appearances

97

Starts

61

Minutes

5489′

Goals

26

Assists

20

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

Minutes per Goal Involvements

119.32′

Points per Game

2.07

For example, in his 97 appearances for the North Londoners, he has scored 26 goals and provided 20 assists, which comes out to a pretty impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.10 games.

Furthermore, even though he doesn’t have the physicality of the former Sporting star, he is far more graceful on the ball and, in the words of Ray Parlour, “drifts out to the left quite often, a little like Thierry Henry used to.”

Ultimately, there is still a lot of the season to go, but based on what fans have seen so far, there is a real possibility that, so long as he stays fit, Jesus could surpass Gyokeres in the pecking order and even end his Arsenal career.

Odegaard upgrade: Arsenal have made a move to sign £88m "generational talent"

The sensational international would be an excellent signing for Arsenal, but could be bad news for Martine Odegaard.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 4 days ago

If there's one phrase to sum up the first week of the 2025 MLB season it's "torpedo bats," the slightly different shaped pieces of wood that have taken the league by storm. To the surprise of no one, Anthony Volpe was the main catalyst of this craze and the makers of the bats are starting to see a windfall.

Volpe, who is using the torpedo bat, has four hits through the first five games of the season and they were all home runs. Michael Kay told a short story about the bats during a YES broadcast over the weekend and it's basically all anyone has talked about since.

According to The Athletic, the bats are flying off the shelves.

An earlier story in said that bat makers were charging between $199 and $239 for the bats to the general public. No doubt a small price to pay to hit like a big leaguer.

Of course, as Front Office Sports points out:

On top of that, since published the piece on the torpedo bat craze Tuesday the Yankees are 0-2 and have struck out 30 times in those two games. Though Volpe did hit another home run in each of the losses.

Celtic are in the hunt for a permanent manager and that will take their focus over the international break, albeit they appear to be prioritising new arrivals regardless of who the new man in the dugout will be.

Martin O’Neill has presided over the Parkhead hotseat since Brendan Rodgers’ acrimonious departure from the Scottish Premiership champions, and there is still plenty of speculation over who could replace the Irishman on a full-time basis.

Since coming into the club after a 20-year hiatus, the former has delivered a morale-boosting victory over Falkirk and led the Bhoys to the Premier Sports Cup final in an enthralling triumph over Rangers, leading some reports to claim O’Neill could take the role permanently.

Nevertheless, there is a long list of candidates, something that refuses to narrow ahead of the international break. Bodo/Glimt manager Kjetil Knutsen is also a Celtic managerial candidate amid a glorious spell in Norway.

On the flipside, the main drawback of any approach to hiring the 57-year-old is that he would like to finish their Champions League campaign before committing to life in Scotland.

Wilfried Nancy, Robbie Keane and Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna are also on the Bhoys’ radar. Either way, this feels like a pursuit that may go on for time to come as majority shareholder Dermot Desmond carefully considers his options.

Away from the managerial hunt, Celtic are considering a bid for Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson, who is available to sign a pre-contract in January and is also wanted by rivals Rangers.

Recruitment is ongoing as the reigning champions look to bolster amid Heart of Midlothian’s push for the title, and they may now look to an untapped market to land a shining star.

Celtic bid to sign Under-20 World Cup winner Hossam Essadak

According to AfricaFoot, Celtic have submitted an offer for Moroccan attacking midfielder Hossam Essadak, who is currently on the books of Union Touarga Sport.

Recently, he featured in the Under-20 World Cup with his nation, captaining them to glory after they defeated Argentina 2-0 in the final to record a historic triumph.

Hossam Essadak’s senior career

Appearances

35

Goals

4

Assists

4

Not short of suitors, Sunderland have also made an official bid to try and sign the blossoming talent, and European clubs are said to be at the front of the race for his signature despite further interest from Wydad Casablanca and RS Berkane in his homeland.

Per Fotmob, Essadak created four chances, completed four dribbles and won six duels during Morocco’s World Cup heroics, and he could well be the latest star Celtic look to sign from North Africa after their summer capture of Sebastian Tounekti.

Celtic are also plotting an emotional move for a Premier League icon

Admittedly, the Bhoys are well-stocked in midfield, and departures may be needed before new arrivals can integrate themselves at Lennoxtown, though it does seem as if work is ongoing to bolster the ranks with talented stars with potential to develop.

Ben Stokes added a century to the five-for he had already taken to cement his place among the greatest allrounders in Test cricket, and after all that he just had to sit back and watch as his bowling attack laid waste to India’s top-order. England had piled up 669, their fifth-highest total in this format. They kept India on the field for 157.1 overs and the fatigue that it caused was certainly on show. India, trailing by 311 runs, lost two wickets scoring any of their own.Stokes, who retired hurt on 66 with leg cramps, seemed back to his fighting best judging by the quick single he took in the very first over of play. Anshul Kamboj had hit the stumps direct at the bowlers end and Mohammed Siraj was so certain it was out that he had his forefinger raised to various corners of the ground. Replays showed a different picture and Stokes took to Siraj in the next over, dancing down the track and clattering him through cover for four.There were a few nervy moments as he approached his century, his first in 35 innings. A neat nudge off the hips brought it up. Stokes punched the air as he ran down the pitch and brought out the folded-finger salute – a tribute to his father Ged – while the trumpeter in the crowd added to the moment by belting out the Superman theme. Stokes joined Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis as the only three allrounders with 7000 Test runs and 200 Test wickets. He became the fifth captain to score a century and pick up a five-for.India were already showing signs of wear. They gave away overthrows. They spread the field for the No. 10. In situations like this, the 15 minutes they had to endure until lunch become extremely dicey and Chris Woakes made it impossible. He started around the wicket immediately to make sure the left-handed Yashasvi Jaiwal would not have easy leaves. The angle forced the mistake as he tried to flick one off middle stump only for the ball to seam extremely sharply off the pitch to take his leading edge through to Joe Root, who fumbled initially before gathering it on the second attempt. Sai Sudharsan showed the clearest signs of fatigue among the Indian players when he was faced with a harmless short and wide delivery. He tried to play at it. Eventually he realised he didn’t need to. In the end, he was caught at second slip leaving the ball.Shubman Gill walked out to face the hat-trick delivery, surrounded by five slips and a leg slip and his team yet to score. They managed one run during the three-over barrage.