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Celtic forward Daizen Maeda has notably come under fire for his struggles in front of goal in recent times, with the Japanese international having been particularly profligate during the Old Firm outfit’s disappointing Champions League run.

The 25-year-old had enjoyed a prolific spell following his arrival at Parkhead in January, scoring eight goals and providing five assists in just 22 games at the tail end of last term, although has since scored just three times in 18 games in all competitions so far this season.

While few can criticise the nine-cap gem’s tireless work ethic – having been dubbed a “machine” by ex-Bhoys striker Chris Sutton last term – the £3.15m-rated man has showcased a lack of cutting edge of late, particularly in Europe.

The Glasgow side’s group stage run thus far has seen the dynamic speedster miss three big chances, as per SofaScore, notably squandering a guilt-edged opening on matchday one at home to holders Real Madrid – fluffing his attempt at goal just after the break.

With manager Ange Postecoglou admitting that his side had paid the “ultimate price” for their wasteful nature after seeing their hopes of progression ended, there may well be frustration that the likes of Maeda, and others, have failed to provide the goods when it mattered.

In need of a potentially more ruthless presence in the forward line, the 57-year-old could well be better served turning to academy asset, Adam Brooks, with the versatile teenager having showcased his quality for the club’s B team of late.

The highly-rated 18-year-old – who can feature in an attacking midfield role or through the middle – has been in clinical form so far this term, with five goals in just eight games in all competitions, including four goals in just five games in the Lowlands League.

The Scotland youth international has notably been lauded by coach Darren O’Dea in recent times, with the former Celtic defender saying of the emerging talent last season:

“Adam is one at the minute that’s in really good form, he’s scoring goals, he’s created a lot of goals, he’s trained particularly well. But he’s also developing the other side to his game.”

While Postecoglou has thus far been somewhat unwilling to promote from the academy set-up – with Stephen Welsh the only graduate to have forced his way into the first team of late – the former Yokohama boss could well strike gold by bringing young Brooks into the fold sooner rather than later.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a double injury setback ahead of their Premier League meeting with AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via football.london), Antonio Conte revealed that both Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison remain unavailable for Spurs’ trip to the Vitality Stadium tomorrow afternoon, as the duo are yet to recover from their respective injuries.

When asked for an update on his team news ahead of Saturday’s fixture, the 53-year-old said: “No news, nothing new. Richarlison and Kulusevski are still out.”

Huge blow

Considering just how impressive both Kulusevski and Richarlison have been for Tottenham since their respective moves to the club, coupled with how short the absence of the duo leaves Conte of options in his three-man attack, it is clear that the fact the Italian will remain without the services of the forwards on Saturday will come as a huge blow to the 53-year-old manager.

Indeed, following Kulusevski’s January switch from Juventus, the £69m-rated winger has been in sensational form for Spurs, scoring six goals and registering 11 assists over his 29 appearances for the north London side – averaging a direct goal contribution every 114 minutes – as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.06 over his 25 league outings for the club.

Meanwhile, since Richarlison’s £60m move from Everton this summer, the £60m-rated striker has also impressed, scoring two goals and providing three assists over his 13 appearances for the club – averaging a direct goal contribution every 139 minutes – in addition to averaging an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 7.20 over his four Champions League outings for Spurs.

As such, with the continued absence of the Swede and the Brazilian leaving Conte with only the option of deploying either Lucas Moura or Bryan Gil – who have played a combined 147 minutes of first-team football this season, proving how little the Italian trusts the duo – in his three-man attack, it is evident just how much of a blow being without the stricken pair is for Tottenham.

Indeed, with Spurs currently on a run of three games without a win – over which period the Lilywhites have bagged just two goals – it is clear that Kulusevski and Richarlison’s respective returns to action can not come soon enough for Conte – who will undoubtedly be hoping his side can get back to winning ways against the Cherries tomorrow afternoon.

Celtic head into the international break at the top of the Scottish Premiership table after their convincing 3-1 win over St. Johnstone at Parkhead on Saturday.

Their rivals Rangers had their clash with Dundee postponed due to a waterlogged pitch on Sunday, which meant that the Hoops ended the weekend one point clear – having played one more game than the team in second.

The Hoops still have the chance to secure two trophies before the end of the season as they remain in the Premiership title race and are set to play Aberdeen in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup last month.

They were knocked out of Europe in the group stages of the Champions League, and were dumped from the League Cup by Kilmarnock, during the first half of the campaign.

The Scottish giants may look to make changes to their playing squad to fare better across all competitions and in Europe next season, and there is one position that will need looking at as Joe Hart is set to retire.

Latest Celtic transfer news

Celtic will need to find a player to take the former England international's place between the sticks and Brendan Rodgers may have already found the dream replacement for him.

According to Dutch paper Algemeen Dagblad (17/03/2024), via SoccerNews, the Hoops have identified RKC Waalwijk goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen as a target ahead of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Glasgow-based side have already placed an offer on the table to sign the talented shot-stopper to bolster their squad.

His current contract with Waalwijk is due to expire at the end of the season and this has allowed Celtic to make him an offer to sign a pre-contract agreement.

However, the outlet states that Vaessen is in no rush to make a decision on his future. The 28-year-old star has his full focus on helping his current club to avoid relegation from the Eredivisie before deciding his next move.

Algemeen Dagblad reports that Dutch giants PSV are also interested in a possible swoop to sign the experienced shot-stopper, and that the interest from both clubs has not left him 'unmoved', which suggests that he could decide to make the switch to Scotland or across the Netherlands in the summer.

Celtic, if they win the race for his signature, have already found the dream replacement for Hart between the sticks as the Dutch giant has been in sublime form and could, possibly, arrive as an upgrade on the veteran Englishman.

Joe Hart's Celtic stats this season

The 36-year-old titan, who turns 37 next month, has kept ten clean sheets in 29 appearances for the Scottish giants in the Premiership so far this season.

Celtic won the league title in both of his first two years at the club, having joined from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2021, and he will be hoping for a perfect treble before his retirement later this year.

Hart's performances in the league this season have improved in comparison to his displays under Ange Postecoglou during the 2022/23 campaign, which suggests that he is going out on a high this summer.

As you can see in the table above, the experienced stopper's save success rate, saves per game, and aerial duel success rate have all improved, whilst he has conceded the same number of goals per match on average.

This suggests that the Hoops defence has allowed more shots against his goal this time around, but he has stepped up to ensure that their mistakes have not impacted the team.

However, Hart did leave a bit to be desired with his underwhelming performances in the Champions League as he conceded 1.7 more goals than expected based on the post-shot xG value of the efforts against him in six appearances, which was also the case during the 2022/23 campaign.

In total, the ex-Manchester City star let in 6.5 more goals than expected in 19 European matches for Celtic over the last three seasons combined, which shows that the goalkeeper struggled with the quality of finishes in Europe.

Why Etienne Vaessen could be a dream Joe Hart replacement

The Hoops could now land a dream replacement for Hart by beating PSV to Vaessen's signature this summer, as the Dutch colossus has been in fantastic form this season.

Despite his side battling against relegation, the Celtic target has caught the eye with 4.0 saves per game and a Sofascore rating of 7.31 across 22 appearances in the Eredivisie.

He has prevented a staggering 4.67 more goals than expected based on the xG of the shots against him this season, which suggests that the 28-year-old star has consistently made high-quality saves against high-quality efforts.

As you can see in the table above, Vaessen has outperformed Hart in a number of key goalkeeping metrics throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far.

Not only has the potential free agent significantly outperformed the Englishman as a shot-stopper, the Waalwijk hero has also been terrific at sweeping up behind his defence and at commanding his box to relieve the pressure on his backline.

Vaessen has the quality to consistently come off his line to either clear the ball from danger outside of his box or to collect a cross to prevent the opposition from getting a shot away.

Whereas, Hart ranks within the bottom 1% of goalkeepers in the Champions League this season for defensive actions outside the penalty area per 90 and the percentage of crosses into the box stopped.

These statistics suggest that the Dutch ace, who is eight years younger than the former England international, would arrive as a significant upgrade on the current Celtic number one, should he translate his performances over to Glasgow.

Celtic's 2023 target to replace Joe Hart is now starring for CL giants

The Hoops were reportedly interested in a deal to sign the Real Madrid starlet.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 23, 2024

Therefore, Rodgers may have already found his dream replacement for Hart with this offer on the table to land Vaessen at the end of the season, and it is now down to the Eredivisie star to make a final decision on his future.

Chelsea and owner Todd Boehly by extension are now willing to pay over £79 million to sign Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Potter set for backing?

Graham Potter has made a brilliant start to life at his new club since replacing former boss Thomas Tuchel, remaining unbeaten over his first five matches in all competitions.

Looking to turn Chelsea back into a major Premier League force, Boehly’s faith in the former Brighton manager appears to be paying off thus far with the American tycoon looking set to back his new gaffer.

Reports have suggested that Potter will benefit from investment in his new-look Blues squad with Lyon starlet Malo Gusto the latest to be linked with a Stamford Bridge move.

The Latest: Chelsea ‘willing to pay more’ than £79m for Bellingham…

Now, according to German outlet Bild (via Sport Witness), Boehly is open to shelling out a lump sum to seal a move for England’s arguably most exciting talent.

They claim Chelsea are ‘willing to pay more’ than €100 million (£79m) for the services of Dortmund star Bellingham with ‘contacts’ already underway.

Bild add this is to beat off competition from other interested clubs in Manchester and Spain as the in-demand sensation continues to dominate headlines.

The Verdict: Get it done…

The 19-year-old has already been called a ‘superstar’ by pundits like Troy Deeney and it’s not hard to see why.

Bellingham is currently setting the world alight in Germany, ranking as Dortmund’s best player by average match rating having completed more dribbles and attempted more shots at goal per 90 than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

A real all-rounder, the teenager has also made Dortmund’s joint-second highest rate of tackles per 90 in the Bundesliga and is fouled more often than any other player in his team (WhoScored).

Bellingham’s growing reputation, however, means Chelsea may well have to invest far more than £79 million.

Nottingham Forest have sacked head of recruitment George Syrianos and head scout Andy Scott, according to The Telegraph’s John Percy.

The Lowdown: Summer signings

Having won promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years, the Tricky Trees set about building a squad capable of retaining their status in the top-flight.

With 20 players having left the club this summer, the Reds were forced into a spending spree in the transfer market. Consequently, Forest welcomed 22 new signings to the City Ground before the cut-off with more free agent additions since, with Steve Cooper’s side having spent a massive £146m.

However, subsequent results haven’t gone the way owner Evangelos Marinakis would have hoped for, with the club 19th in the Premier League table.

The Latest: Percy’s claim

Despite a vast transfer overhaul this summer, a surprising twist has now taken place behind-the-scenes at Wilford Lane.

Taking to Twitter, Telegraph journalist Percy revealed:

“NFFC have sacked head of recruitment George Syrianos & head scout Andy Scott. Review of summer transfer business and strategy conducted by owner Evangelos Marinakis & sporting director Filippo Giraldi. Process underway to appoint replacements.”

The Verdict: Too late?

With over 20 summer signings and nearly £150m spent, the rash sackings of Syrianos and Scott come a little too late in the grand scheme of Forest’s top-flight survival.

If Marinakis had concerns over his scouting department following their promotion from the Championship this summer, a decision as to their futures should have been made ahead of time – rather than in hindsight.

Despite this, two of the side’s top three best rated players thus far this season are new recruits. Neco Williams tops the list with a 6.89 average match rating, whilst record signing Morgan Gibbs-White stands in third (via SofaScore).

Whilst a number of signings weren’t entirely necessary, Marinakis’ decision to part ways with the recruitment pair appears somewhat scapegoating, given the squad were given very little time to gel with one another ahead of the new campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been handed a big update on the future of promising young midfielder Bryan Gil.

The Lowdown: Conte fury…

After Spurs’ 0-0 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Tuesday, reports emerged of manager Antonio Conte’s fury with the Spaniard following his on-field shortcomings.

Indeed, as shared by reporter Alasdair Gold, the Premier League coach was spotted repeatedly screaming at Gil for getting pushed off the ball too easily – urging his midfielder to be more combative.

The 21-year-old, who was linked with re-joining Valencia in the last transfer window, hasn’t been handed many opportunities in north London since – playing just 11 minutes in all competitions.

The Latest: Report shares big Gil exit update…

Now, according to sources out of Spain, there has been a significant update on Gil’s future.

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La Razon claim Tottenham and Valencia seem ‘doomed to understand each other’ in January with a mid-season agreement on the cards.

It’s added that Gil is eager to return to the Mestalla Stadium and would be ‘crazy’ over the opportunity to leave.

The Verdict: Let him go?

Another loan for the starlet could be just what he needs as Spurs look to develop a real star for the future.

Likened to Man City legend David Silva for his playing style, the technically gifted former Sevilla star could be a long-awaited Christian Eriksen replacement in the making if nurtured properly.

Called an ‘excellent’ player with ‘huge potential’ by members of the media, Gil needs consistent senior minutes to evolve into someone who could become a real asset at Spurs.

A Valencia reunion, to us, seems the most viable solution.

A worrying Newcastle United injury update has emerged regarding Alexander Isak ahead of a return to Premier League action this weekend.

What’s the latest?

The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has claimed that the Swedish centre-forward is set for a spell on the sidelines after being hit with a setback whilst on international duty.

Magpies reporter Dominic Scurr had claimed that the striker had not suffered a serious blow, but Edwards has now revealed that the 23-year-old will be out of action for a number of games.

He tweeted: “Confidence Bruno will play against Fulham, but record signing Alexander Isak is out for a few weeks, ASM is touch and go but is also unlikely to make London trip Chris Wood has a rib injury and is struggling too. Wilson will return but needs to be wrapped in cotton wool.”

Eddie Howe should be frustrated

The Magpies head coach should be frustrated by this latest setback, as losing Isak for any period of time is a huge blow for the team heading into their upcoming matches.

Newcastle have only won one of their opening seven Premier League games and will need their best players available to rediscover their top form. They have also scored just eight times in those seven outings, which suggests that the manager is not blessed with a plethora of goalscoring threats in his team.

Isak arrived from La Liga outfit Real Sociedad in the summer and has hit the ground running in England. The Swede has found the net twice in his first three appearances for the Toon, scoring against Liverpool and Bournemouth either side of drawing a blank against Crystal Palace.

He has shown that he has the quality to score goals at this level, and that is why his absence in the coming weeks is a huge blow for Newcastle, particularly with fellow strikers Wilson only now returning to fitness and Wood dealing with an injury of his own.

The 23-year-old joined the Magpies after scoring 23 La Liga goals between the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns, which shows that he has the ability to score on a regular basis in a major European league, indicating that he has the potential to reach great heights at St James’ Park.

Therefore, Howe should be frustrated with this big injury blow, as his team will not benefit from Isak’s goalscoring talents in the next few weeks, which could limit their threat in front of goal against Fulham and any subsequent matches that the Sweden international may miss.

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has emerged as a real standout figure for the east London outfit in recent years, having grown from strength to strength since making his first-team debut just over five years ago.

Now captain of the club as well as a leading asset for his country – for whom he now has 32 caps – the Englishman has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past few seasons, with it perhaps easy to forget that he is still only 23 years of age.

While a player now routinely lauded for his commanding displays in the centre of the park, not all had perhaps foreseen his rapid development, with pundit Roy Keane notably criticising the youngster’s form while on England duty back in 2019.

Amid speculation linking the Hammers man to the Irishman’s former club Manchester United, Keane brutally laid bare his fellow midfielder’s deficiencies following a victory over Kosovo, stating:

“Where he needs to improve, there are plenty of aspects if you think about it. Over the last few months he has had a lot of praise, I worked with him while he was with the Ireland squad.

“Where does he need to improve, where do you want me to start? His positional play I don’t think is consistent enough, he doesn’t stay with runners, he’s sloppy in possession. I can go on.”

Never one to mince his words, the former Red Devils captain appeared to suggest that Rice still had a long way to go to be considered a real top-quality asset, albeit with the retired ace potentially holding a grudge over the younger man’s decision to swap his international allegiance from the Republic of Ireland to the Three Lions.

That was the view of talkSPORT pundit Danny Murphy, who insisted that Keane had been “harsh” in his assessment of the 6 foot 1 gem, while also suggesting that a potential factor behind that criticism was the player’s decision to snub Ireland.

Rice has gone on to more than prove the United legend wrong since then, having only recently been dubbed “the best midfielder in the country” by pundit Paul Parker, after racking up 204 appearances for the London Stadium outfit.

The imposing “monster” – as dubbed by ESPN’s David Cartlidge – has impressed with his ability to drive forward from deep and help initiate attacks, showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 14% among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries.

An all-round asset who can also comfortably perform his defensive duties, the £60k-per-week ace also ranks in the top 3% for interceptions, with pundit Chris Sutton lauding his ability to ‘put out fires’ in front of the back four.

Such has been the Irons academy graduate’s form of late, he is now even valued at £70m, according to CIES Football Observatory, while manager David Moyes has perhaps ambitiously suggested that he could be worth as much as £150m – albeit with just under two years left on his current deal.

Now a player coveted by the Premier League’s elite, the one-time Chelsea youth asset has certainly made Keane eat his words over the past few years, with the pundit himself having only recently acknowledged his previous error by tipping the West Ham star for a move to Old Trafford.

If only the 51-year-old hadn’t been so critical back in 2019, he wouldn’t now be left with egg on his face.

Nottingham Forest will return to action in the Premier League on Friday night hosting Fulham at The City Ground, and Steve Cooper will surely be hoping that his team can bounce back from the disappointing defeat against Bournemouth in their last fixture.

Forest went from 2-0 up at halftime to 3-2 down by the final whistle when the Cherries made the journey to Nottingham for their clash over 10 days ago and refreshing the starting line-up could be a worthwhile endeavour for the Welsh manager to improve their form in the league.

The newly-promoted side are currently 19th in the Premier League table after losing their last three games and tallying up just four points over their first six outings, but with 22 new players joining the squad this summer Cooper is not short of options to find the right players to guide them into a much better position.

Following the poor defensive performance, it would be no surprise to see the Forest boss makes a change to his set-up in the backline and it could be the perfect opportunity for new signing Loic Bade to finally be unleashed in the team.

The former Stade Rennais centre-back who was hailed “dominant” by Jacek Kulig, joined the Tricky Trees in a loan move on Deadline Day and it was a great piece of business for the club considering Moussa Niakhate is set to be out injured for a few months with thigh problems.

It is reported that Forest will have a £12m option to buy the player should he impress Cooper during his time in Nottingham, and when you consider his output over the last 12 months in Ligue One, there is no doubt that he could make a positive impact on the team when given the chance.

Bade ranks in the top 15% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for clearances, pass completion, progressive carries and touches over the last 12 months, proving that he is not afraid to get stuck into his opponents and displays quality when progressing the ball when in possession.

The 6 foot 3 French sensation could be the perfect player to bully Aleksandar Mitrovic when it comes to the Fulham game tomorrow night, with the striker being their fellow newly-promoted side’s biggest threat over the season so far scoring six goals in six appearances.

Stopping Mitrovic will be one of the key components to staying in control of the game and Bade can use his huge stature alongside his capabilities in winning duels, with the youngster completing 57% last season, to match the Serbian star’s powerful offensive play.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see how Cooper deploys his team in a must-win game for Forest on Friday night, taking all three points from the clash is essential to get them out of the relegation zone and in a good position to compete over the season ahead.

Leeds United right-back Rasmus Kristensen has been included in Denmark’s squad for Nations League matches later this month, hinting that his injury may not be as bad as previously feared.

The Lowdown: Kristensen’s absence

The summer signing was a surprise absentee in the Whites’ last Premier League game against Brentford earlier this month.

Teenager Cody Drameh was handed a rare start as a result of Kristensen remaining in Yorkshire, with Phil Hay stating that the defender picked up a knock in training.

Mike McGrath suggested last Wednesday that the 25-year-old could be out for three weeks, but it looks as if there has been another twist.

The Latest: Denmark inclusion

Leeds journalist Joe Donnohue relayed the news of Kristensen’s inclusion in Denmark’s squad for the upcoming games against Croatia and France.

The reporter said that it ‘suggests his injury isn’t as bad as initially thought’.

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The Verdict: One to watch

Of course, there is every chance that Kristensen could potentially sit out the meetings with Croatia and France, however, it does look like good news knowing he’ll be with the squad later this month.

If it was a bad injury, you’d expect that Leeds would’ve made a point to Denmark regarding the player’s condition, keeping him at Thorp Arch.

Denmark have two Nations League matches in the space of four days between September 22nd-25th, so it’ll be interesting to see if he features in one, both or neither of the fixtures.

Either way, this certainly feels like he should be fully fit and firing before the Whites play next.