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Celtic are now thought to be closing in on a new deal for one Parkhead gem, according to an update on Thursday.

Celtic transfer rumours

It has been a busy season at Celtic Park which began with Ange Postecoglou leaving for Tottenham and Brendan Rodgers returning for a second stint in charge.

A plethora of players were brought in and sold, with the most high-profile exit being Jota’s big-money move to Saudi Arabia, a transfer which has helped the club bring in so many new signings.

Celtic signings 2023/24

Fee

Gustaf Lagerbielke (IF Elfsborg)

£3m

Odin Thiago Holm (Valerenga)

£2.5m

Marco Tilio (Melbourne City)

£2m

Hyun-Jun Yang (Gangwon)

£2m

Hyeokkyu Kwon (Busan I-Park)

£1m

Maik Nawrocki (Legia Warsaw)

£4.3m

Tomoki Iwata (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Undisc.

Nicolas Kühn (Rapid Vienna)

£3m

Adam Idah (Norwich City)

Loan

On the pitch, things haven’t exactly been how Rodgers would’ve been hoping for, with rivals Rangers currently topping the Scottish Premiership and already winning the Scottish League Cup. In fact, if the Northern Irishman fails to win the league title, there are rumours he could be sacked after just 12 months back at the club.

New additions to the Celtic squad are also expected at the end of the campaign, with a new goalkeeper, winger and striker top of the agenda ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher has been heavily linked with a move to replace Joe Hart, whereas a permanent move for loanee Adam Idah from Norwich City has also been mooted.

However, alongside any new signings, the Hoops are also working to keep a number of their potential future stars at the club, with a positive update emerging on one of those in question.

Celtic agree new contract with Hoops gem

Scott Burns of The Daily Record reported this week that Celtic are close to agreeing a new contract with youngster Daniel Kelly. The Hoops tabled an extension to the 18-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of the season, and were confident of a deal being signed.

Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke has since issued a further update on talks, revealing Hoops chiefs have made a breakthrough to actually agree a deal with Kelly already, who will net a "significant" pay rise.

Kelly has made an impact at Parkhead since the turn of the year and is highly rated in Glasgow, with the central midfielder making four senior appearances in all competitions this season. He even scored his first professional goal in the recent 7-1 win over Dundee.

Kelly has also come in for praise from Billy Stark, former Celtic player and current Scotland Under-19 boss, who labelled the Hoops gem a “powerhouse”.

“It was great to see young Daniel get that opportunity and I’m looking forward to him joining up with the Under-19s next week. He scored a good goal against Dundee with his right foot, which is his swinger.

“Daniel is a real powerhouse who is strong and committed, with lots of energy. He has a lot of attributes that are needed for a top midfielder and we hope he continues to develop the way he has.”

“A great opportunity to maybe bring a New Zealand team into the Big Bash or use New Zealand players as local players”

Andrew McGlashan05-May-2020Brendon McCullum has called for greater New Zealand involvement in the Big Bash League later this year if the availability of overseas players – and international cricket overall – remains restricted by the Covid-19 pandemic.There are positive signs that the Australian season could take shape somewhat as scheduled – there even remains hope that the men’s T20 World Cup could be played in October – with every effort being made to enable to the lucrative series against India to survive. Cricket Australia has started conversations with the federal government about what protocols would need to be in place to allow international teams to visit later in the year.While there remain plenty of hurdles to cross before full-fledged international sport can take place, there has already been progress in links between Australia and New Zealand resuming with the Warriors rugby team arriving in Tamworth, New South Wales at the weekend to prepare for the resumption of the NRL later this month and there are talks at the government level about a travel “bubble” between the two countries.”If there is a shortage of international cricket what an opportunity for the Big Bash, which if we are being honest has probably just tailed off a little bit of late, what a great opportunity to really morph that back into Australia sporting fans’ eyes,” McCullum, who had eight seasons with the Brisbane Heat, told . “And I think what a great opportunity to maybe bring a New Zealand team into the Big Bash or use New Zealand players as local players because there may be a distinct lack of overseas players.”A little bit of creative thinking. It may be just for one season but we have to prepare for the long-term if you are going to grow the game there may be some value.”However, if New Zealand’s international players are not playing in December and January – they are due to have a visit by Pakistan – NZC would likely see it as a chance to have them available for the T20 Super Smash, which usually runs concurrently with the first part of the Big Bash from mid-December.One of the contingency plans in place should next season be disrupted is the potential for Australia and New Zealand to play each other if movement between those two countries is more feasible than broader international travel. There are two ODIs left to play from the curtailed series in March plus three T20Is that were due to be hosted in New Zealand.The Big Bash will mark its tenth anniversary in the 2020-21 season and, before the pandemic, had commissioned a review by David Barham, the television executive who was central to the BBL’s rise while at Channel 10, into what could be done to revitalise the competition. The most intriguing suggestion out of the review was the prospect of four-innings T20 matches in an attempt to ensure contests are alive for longer.

Arsenal are a team that prides itself on the promotion of youth.

Be it Bukayo Saka, Tony Adams, Liam Brady or David Rocastle, every generation has had at least a few homegrown gems that help build a stronger connection between the fans and the team.

However, while football can provide players and supporters with moments of unbridled joy, it can also be crushingly cruel, and where a few players go on to fulfil their promise and make it to the very top, there are hundreds who just don’t.

There have been plenty of such players at Arsenal in recent years, but there is one who was compared to Patrick Vieira and expected to do great things – both at the club and when he left – but it just hasn’t worked out that way.

Jeff Reine-Adelaide's record at Arsenal

The player in question is former Arsenal youngster Jeff Reine-Adelaide, who joined the Gunners in the summer of 2015 from French outfit RC Lens as part of a £3m deal that also saw Yassin Fortune join the youth side.

It didn’t take long for the young Frenchman to impress his new fans either, as he took part in that summer’s Emirates Cup and put in a barnstorming performance against a Wolfsburg side that had a certain Kevin De Bruyne at the heart of it.

GK – Petr Cech

RB – Hector Bellerin

CB – Calum Chambers

CB – Gabriel Paulista

LB – Nacho Monreal

CM- Mikel Arteta

CM – Santi Cazorla

LM – Jeff Reine-Adelaide

CAM – Mesut Ozil

RM – Jack Wilshere

ST – Theo Walcott

The then-17-year-old provided the assist for Theo Walcott’s opening goal of the game and was described as “something special” by manager Arsène Wenger in the aftermath.

Over the next two years, the promising youngster would make eight competitive appearances for the first team but fail to score a single goal or provide any assists, and while Mikel Arteta described him as possessing “really big potential” and as having “all the attributes to become a really good player”, the north Londoners opted to sell him to Ligue 1 side Angers in July 2018 following a successful sixth-month loan spell at the club from January.

In his full season with Les Scoïstes, the Champigny-sur-Marne-born midfielder made 36 first-team appearances, scored three goals, provided three assists, and, after scoring a goal and providing an assist in his first league game of the 2019/20 season, he made a £23m move to French giants Lyon.

The Gunners made around £5m themselves thanks to a clause in the deal that saw him leave in 2018, but while the move was ideal for them, it would be quite the opposite for the player himself.

What Jeff Reine-Adelaide is doing now

Despite being compared to the immensely talented Vieira during his short time in England thanks to ‘his assurance on the ball and insistence of driving forward in possession’, combined with his ‘unnatural running style’ and most likely his nationality, Reine-Adelaide couldn’t make the step-up to playing regularly for Lyon.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

In his first season with the side, he made just 22 appearances, scored two goals, provided three assists and had to deal with a cruciate ligament tear that caused him to miss 19 games and 198 days of action.

With questions lingering about whether he was of the level to play for Lyon following his underwhelming first season, he was sent out on loan to OGC Nice for the 2020/21 campaign.

While things started well enough with five goal involvements in 18 games, the youngster was once again blighted with injury as he suffered a second cruciate ligament tear, only this time it led him to miss a whopping 47 games and 341 days over the latter half of the campaign and the first half of 2021/22.

It was during this period that Reine-Adelaide revealed he had thoughts of simply retiring from professional football, telling L’Equipe (via Get French Football News): “Yes, I have to say that it crossed my mind, I had it at the back of my mind. But my mentality is that of a winner, not a loser, that’s why it only crossed my mind.

“It’s the most difficult time I’ve experienced. I was alone at the hospital for a month, without being able to have visitors.”

The following two years saw him make a grand total of 33 appearances between Lyon and Troyes, who he joined on loan in 2022/23, but he still managed just two assists in that time.

Angers SCO

47

4

4

0.17

Lyon

48

2

4

0.12

OGC Nice

18

1

4

0.27

Troyes

6

0

1

0.16

RWD Molenbeek

19

1

2

0.15

The 6 foot midfielder finally parted ways with Les Gones permanently in September 2023, when recently promoted Belgian Pro League side RWD Molenbeek signed him on a one-year deal in what looked like a move that could save the talented player’s future.

Six months into his spell, Reine-Adelaide has made 19 appearances for the team – 17 of which have been starts – and while he has only registered three goal involvements, and picked up a red card in his 16th game, he appears to be a relatively important player to the team.

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The only problem is that Les Coalisés are currently three points from safety, so there is a distinct possibility that the player once described as “special” by Wenger and compared to Vieira by the press could be playing in the second tier of Belgian football next season. If they renew his deal, that is.

Ultimately, while he certainly had some trouble recreating his form from Angers at Lyon, it’s impossible not to look at his injuries and wonder what could have been had he had better luck.

Trent Alexander-Arnold passionately defended an under-fire Harry Kane ahead of England's Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Kane under scrutiny for his formHas looked sluggish in front of goalAlexander-Arnold hailed him as the "best finisher"WHAT HAPPENED?

Despite scoring two goals in the tournament, Kane's overall impact has been questioned. The Bayern Munich striker has been far from sharp in front of goal which has allowed his critics to doubt his form and efficiency – with some even suggesting that he should be axed from the starting line-up.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

However, Alexander-Arnold, unwavering in his praise for Kane, labelled him as the "best finisher" he has ever come across. He also highlighted Kane's remarkable record of 65 international goals, the highest in English history, to underscore his importance to the Three Lions squad.

WHAT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD SAID

While speaking to reporters, Alexander-Arnold said: "Anyone who is facing England would like to see Harry Kane not playing. I think we are talking about England’s record goalscorer so that is as big as anything you can say about him. You just know he is a threat. Anything in and around the box, you need to be on red alert. He can finish it from any angle. I always say he is the best finisher I have seen or played with. He can find the back of the net from anywhere. He can drop down and build play up and his hold-up play is incredible, too. All round, a fantastic player.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

As England prepares to face the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-finals in Dortmund, Kane will come up against a familiar face in Virgil van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold’s team-mate at Liverpool. However, he admitted that there is little he can do to help Kane and Co. exploit Van Dijk's weaknesses, as the Dutch defender is formidable at his job.

"The quality he has got, I think anyone who has watched him play, at club level or for his national team, will say how good a player he is, so he has not got many weaknesses," he said.

"I don’t know that I can be of much help to our attacking players but we have got to get past him and get past them to reach a final.”

Picking up two wins from their last three Championship games, there could still be light at the end of the tunnel for Sheffield Wednesday's survival chances in the second tier when all hope had begun to look lost.

Ike Ugbo has been a standout performer since joining the Owls ranks in January from Troyes on loan, netting his third goal for Wednesday already at Millwall this weekend as Danny Rohl's men pulled off an impressive 2-0 away day win.

With Ugbo coming in and becoming a star man up top, Michael Smith's importance to the Wednesday cause has significantly lessened.

As a result, the second-tier side might well live to regret not trying to offload Smith with more vigour in January as the 32-year-old gradually bleeds the club more and more courtesy of his excessive pay packet despite now being on the fringes.

Michael Smith's salary at Sheffield Wednesday

Smith is currently the fourth highest earner at Hillsborough despite now primarily being an option Rohl brings on from the off the bench, coming in at a handsome £17.5k-per-week which could be better used elsewhere based on his output this campaign.

Rumoured fervently with a move to reunite with his ex-Rotherham United boss Paul Warne at Derby County in January, Smith only has three goals next to his name when he's been in the thick of the action for the Owls away from all this talk.

In stark contrast, Ugbo – from just three games – has managed to match Smith's total for Wednesday with the ex-Chelsea attacker on seven goals for the campaign overall after having his Cardiff City loan cut short to relocate to South Yorkshire.

Rohl and Co will see the deal to land Ugbo on loan until the end of the season as a masterstroke, with the 25-year-old centre-forward a more affordable option to keep on the books than the waning Smith.

Moreover, his clinical edge in front of goal means he comes out on top over the lacklustre 32-year-old attacker.

Smith's wage compared to the rest of the Wednesday squad

Smith's bulky pay packet means he's currently one of the highest earners in the Owls squad, with the likes of Barry Bannan unsurprisingly above him on an even heftier £24k-per-week according to Capology.

The likes of Jeff Hendrick and Kristian Pedersen are also burning holes in the Owls' pocket with their wages on loan – with the Newcastle United loanee specifically coming in at an eye-watering £35k-per-week – but Ugbo thankfully comes in as a cheaper option than this expensively priced duo.

1. Jeff Hendrick

£35k

2. Barry Bannan

£24k

3. Kristian Pedersen

£18k

4. Michael Smith

£17.5k

5. Will Vaulks

£15.9k

Ugbo boasts a reasonable £15k per week wage playing for Wednesday in comparison, justifying his salary with his recent golden streak in front of goal compared to a quiet Smith.

Smith's last two goals for the Owls came all the way back in October, with the likes of Anthony Musaba – who is on a significantly less extortionate wage than the 32-year-old forward at £9k per week – leading the goalscoring charts at Hillsborough with six goals away from the ex-Millers man.

Wednesday will need to look at offloading a lot of their ageing high earners if the South Yorkshire side succumb to relegation come the end of the season, with Smith high up the potential list to ditch.

Ugbo could well be kept around permanently on the contrary based on his current goalscoring heroics, as Rohl and Co aim to assemble a squad for the long-term that doesn't cost excessive amounts.

New videos have emerged which explained why Saturday's Championship fixture featuring Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich Town had to be abandoned just ten minutes before full-time at Ewood Park. Blackburn were leading 1-0 against ten-man Ipswich, who are part-owned by singer Ed Sheeran, when the referee stopped the game due to torrential rain and, after checking the pitch conditions, called it off.

Yellow weather warning was issued

Before the game kicked off, a yellow weather warning was issued by the Met Office. Despite the rain, the match went ahead as scheduled and it was goalless in the first half. The visitors were reduced to ten men after the break as Jacob Greaves was shown a red card for a clumsy last-man foul on Yuki Ohashi. Minutes later, Todd Cantwell scored from the penalty spot to hand his team the lead. As Rovers were racing towards a win, the game had to be halted due to the deteriorating condition of the playing surface.

AdvertisementVideos show why referee abandoned the match

A video shared by journalist Alex Jones on X revealed that the referee tested the pitch condition by rolling the ball on a couple of occasions. In the video, the ball can be seen getting stuck due to a waterlogged pitch. Meanwhile, UK broadcaster ITV have shown the moment the referee brought play to a halt.

Stadium announcer delivers bad news to home fans

Addressing the fans at Ewood Park, the stadium announcer said: "Thank you for your patience. Game abandoned. A decision will be made by the officials whether the match will be replayed in due course."

Getty Images SportWhen will the match be played?

The replay date for the Championship clash has not been announced yet, and it is not yet known whether it will be fulfilled in its entirety or from just the point the initial match was stopped.