Celtic’s lack of top-end attacking talent was made abundantly clear in their biggest game of the season.

On Wednesday night, the Hoops were held to a dire goalless draw by Kairat at Parkhead in the first leg of their Champions League play-off, having just three shots on target all night and mustering a solitary big chance.

Thus, next Tuesday evening, Brendan Rodgers’ side must win in Kazakhstan, something the Celts have never previously achieved in three attempts, losing two of them, to book their place in the Champions League league phase.

Raucous chants of ‘sack the board’ could be heard throughout the second half of Wednesday’s, potentially disastrous, draw, with supporters frustrated by the club’s lack of spending, but could that be about to change?

Celtic's lack of attacking options

For the crucial mid-week tie against Kairat, Rodgers deployed a front three of Daizen Maeda, Adam Idah, and James Forrest.

After a less-than-productive first half, Idah was hooked at the interval, with Maeda deployed down the middle, and Yang Hyun-Jun was introduced.

Within seconds of the restart, Yang found Forrest, who forced Aleksandr Zarutskiy into a very smart save down to his left, but this was followed by little else, with unproven summer signing Shin Yamada thrown on towards the end, but this merely underlined Rodgers’ lack of proven options in forward areas.

As they seek to address this, according to Dutch outlet Voetbal International, as relayed by Daily Record, Celtic have been told the fee they’ll need to pay to secure the signature of Calvin Stengs.

They claim that Feyenoord are ‘willing to cooperate in a sale’ for a player whom they value at £5.1m, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Premiership champions are willing to pay the asking price at this moment in time.

55 years ago, Celtic and Feyenoord met in the European Cup Final at San Siro, but just six men have represented both clubs, namely Colin Kazim-Richards, Regi Blinker, John Guidetti, Glenn Loovens, Pierre van Hooijdonk and, of course, the king of kings himself Henrik Larsson, so could Stengs add his name to that list?

What Calvin Stengs would bring to Celtic

Stengs joined AZ Alkmaar as an 11-year-old, and his senior breakthrough came while representing the Cheese Farmers, scoring 24 goals and registering 22 assists in 113 appearances for AZ, with five of these goals coming in Europe.

This earned him an £8.6m move to Nice in the summer of 2021, but he made almost no impact on the French Riviera, scoring just a solitary goal during his one season with the Ligue 1 outfit.

After a decent campaign on loan at Royal Antwerp, scoring three goals but racking up nine assists in Belgium, he returned to the Netherlands by joining Feyenoord, thereby reuniting with Arne Slot, who’d previously been his manager in Alkmaar.

As the table below outlines, Stengs certainly produced impressive statistics during his first Eredivisie season in Rotterdam.

Calvin Stengs Eredivisie statistics 2023/24
Statistics	Stengs	Eredivisie rank
Minutes	2,095	113th
Goals	6	40th
Assists	12	3rd
Expected assists	8.6	3rd
Shots	44	47th
Key passes	71	2nd
Shot-creating actions	129	6th
Goal-creating actions	17	6th
Big chances created	13	6th
Accurate final 3rd passes	397	14th
Average SofaScore rating	7.51	7th
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com and SofaScore

As the table documents, despite somewhat limited minutes, Stengs was one of the chief creators in the Eredivisie, ending up third for assists, while also ranking highly for expected assists, key passes, shot-creating actions, and big chances created.

The highlight of his Feyenoord career actually came against Celtic, marking his Champions League debut by scoring this long-range free kick at De Kuip, one that Joe Hart believes he should’ve kept out.

Last season, however, things did not go to plan for Stengs, seeing a miserly 797 minutes of action due to knee, hamstring and ankle issues, starting just eight matches across all competitions.

To commence the new campaign, the 26-year-old has been an unused substitute for all four of Feyenoord’s fixtures, including both legs of their Champions League qualifying exit at the hands of Fenerbahçe, as manager Robin van Persie seemingly prepares for the winger’s departure.

Nevertheless, he is still a highly-rated talent.

Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout labels him a “flamboyant winger”, praising his pace, dribbling ability, and creativity, while Nils Mackay of Opta adds that he is a “serious talent”.

Stengs is certainly a versatile player, predominantly deployed as an attacking midfielder during his time with Feyenoord, having made a name for himself as a right-winger at AZ, earning all eight of his senior Netherlands caps in that position out wide too, most recently bagging a hat-trick against Gibraltar at Estádio Algarve.

Following the sale of Nicolas Kühn, the aforementioned Forrest is currently Celtic’s starter wide-right but, at 34 years old, having scored just one goal last season, the club legend is no longer the elite-level difference-maker he once was.

Thus, there is a clear spot up for grabs, one that Stengs could come in and make his own, and all available evidence suggests he would be an excellent addition, which would result in Forrest dropping down to the bench after he started the last two games in the Premiership and the Champions League on the right flank.

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In a fresh battle between Premier League clubs, Arsenal have now reportedly intensified their interest in signing a teenage sensation ahead of the likes of Liverpool.

Arteta: Arsenal need to "respect" Saka's recovery

Arsenal couldn’t have entered the international break in more frustrating fashion, but they’ve come out the other side in fine fettle. Having suffered late defeat at Anfield and lost both Bukayo Saka and William Saliba to injury, the Gunners bounced back after the break with a convincing and near flawless win against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Losing Saka was a particular blow however, and one that the Gunners will still need to deal with moving forwards, relying on the likes of Noni Madueke to continue to shine. Mikel Arteta provided an update on the fitness of his star man before Forest, stating that Arsenal must “respect” the recovery process and not rush Saka back before he is ready.

The Spaniard also provided an update on Kai Havertz, who suffered an injury blow in the early stages of the season: “He’s looking really good, he’s walking freely.

“He’s starting to load the knee and to do some bits. As I said before, I think we’re taking it from weeks to months. But knowing Kai, I cannot give you any time scale because I know what he’s going to try to do, same with Gabi Jesus. So I think he’s in a good moment.”

It’s these types of injury concerns that Arsenal have been building for, however, and the transfer market remains the key to a lot of their success. Get things right in that department and they may yet end their wait for another league title.

To that end, those in North London are already thinking about the future. According to reports, they’ve even gone as far as intensifying their interest in signing a teenage sensation.

Arsenal intensify interest in Mokio

As reported by TeamTalk, Arsenal have now intensified their interest in signing Jorthy Mokio from Ajax. The Gunners are joined in the race to sign the 17-year-old talent by Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United, but will be looking to deal their rivals a transfer blow by securing his signature at the first opportunity.

The third-youngest goalscorer in Ajax history, there’s no denying that Mokio is one to watch. The teenage midfielder, who can also play centre-back, was dubbed “special” by scout Jacek Kulig in February and it’s hard to argue with that statement.

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It would be a major coup if Arsenal managed to lure the Belgian to The Emirates in the near future.

Doctors say his heart function “seemed fine” on Tuesday morning following the angioplasty procedure

Mohammad Isam25-Mar-2025

Tamim Iqbal, 36, at the toss of the DPL match during which he suffered a heart attack•BCB

Tamim Iqbal’s heart function “seemed fine” this morning according to doctors, who have advised the former Bangladesh captain plenty of rest following an angioplasty procedure after he suffered a heart attack during a DPL game on Monday.Health officials visited Tamim at the Savar Hospital on Tuesday and Abdul Wadud Chowdhury, director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, said he had to be extremely careful over the next three days.”This morning his heart function seemed fine,” Chowdhury said at a press conference. “There may be an abnormal beat again. The risk is low. Less than 1%. But if it happens, then it is a 100% risk for that patient. Tamim is our national asset. He should stay at KPJ Hospital for 48 to 72 hours. Then he will be able to move.”We told him that there is a slight risk so that there are no further problems, that the next 48-72 hours are a critical period. He should talk less. He should rest a little. He should not be excited in any way. The initial period is for him to stabilise here for a while and then he can go to a good place for his rehabilitation.”Tamim was leading Mohammedan Sporting Club in a Dhaka Premier League match in BKSP in Savar when he was taken ill and had to be rushed to hospital for an angioplasty.Chowdhury said Tamim could play cricket again in three months if his recovery goes according to plan. “48 to 72 hours is risky. And he will have to be given three months to return to normal activities like sports. Apart from that, he will do normal activities and walk at home. But he will have to rest.”On Tuesday, Tamim wrote a post on Facebook thanking the doctors. “By the grace of Allah and all your prayers, I have come back,” he wrote. “I am fortune that so many amazing people were around me in my time of need. All your efforts and prudence helped me overcome the crisis. My request is for everyone to stand by each other. I thank all of you. Keep praying for me and my family. Without you, there’s no Tamim Iqbal.”He was moved to a hospital in Dhaka on Tuesday evening.

Big picture: More entertainment in store

Pakistan set their sights on playing high-risk cricket, and were finally able to execute it to perfection in the third T20I. The approach was also apparent from the get-go, and all three batters who batted on the day – Mohammad Haris, Hasan Nawaz and Salman Agha – stuck to it. After struggling against pace and bounce in the first two games, they feasted on the New Zealand bowling attack on what seemed like a belter, with Nawaz finishing with a 45-ball 105* as records tumbled. Pakistan also averted a series loss with the win.Despite the batter-friendly conditions, Pakistan’s bowlers – especially the quicks – did largely well to keep New Zealand to 204, particularly with the chase proving no total was safe on the surface. They did leak a few runs in the middle, but the only thing that perhaps did not work out was legspinner Abrar Ahmed bowling in the powerplay. With two more games to go, Pakistan will want to use this momentum to turn the series around their way and get even.New Zealand, who had been playing their best till the last game, will be ruing the missed opportunity of sealing the series. Despite early wickets, however, they did not let the scoring slow down, and that was largely thanks to Mark Chapman’s 94 off 44 balls.Related

• Henry out of last two Pakistan T20Is, to continue rehab

• Nawaz gives a peek into Pakistan's new era of T20 batting

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New Zealand are playing with an almost second-string side, while Pakistan too had a revamp of their T20I team. Both teams have made their approach clear – they want to entertain with the bat – and will hope it works in their favour as the action moves to Mount Maunganui.

Form guide

New Zealand: LWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan: WLLLL

In the spotlight: Haris Rauf and Mark Chapman

Haris Rauf came into the XI after missing the first T20I, and showed Pakistan what they were missing. After picking 2 for 20 in the second T20I, he finished with 3 for 29 on a batter-friendly Eden Park surface in the third, relying on change of pace to control the run flow and get his wickets. Rauf finished with an economy of 7.25 in that match, the best across both teams. After good outings against Australia and Zimbabwe late last year, Rauf went wicketless in the two T20Is against South Africa, but bounced back on conditions suited to his bowling in New Zealand.Mark Chapman hit 11 fours and four sixes on the way to his 94 in the third T20I•AFP/Getty Images

Mark Chapman hasn’t been New Zealand’s most consistent batter in the format but showed in the third T20I what he can do on his day. He went ten innings without a half-century in the lead up to the match, which also included six single-digit scores. But with Tim Siefert and Finn Allen departing early, the left-hander started off by taking on Shaheen Shah Afridi and then legspinner Abrar to get settled. He never slowed down even as wickets fell at the other end, missing out on a century after hitting 11 fours and four sixes on the way.

Team news

Matt Henry, who was ruled out of the first three T20Is, will miss the remainder of the series too as he continues his rehab from shoulder injury. Zakary Foulkes, who was named his replacement, will continue to be part of the squad. Will O’Rourke, who was originally listed only for the opening three games, will remain with the squad for the final two matches in place of Kyle Jamieson. One of Foulkes or O’Rourke is expected to make the XI in place of Jamieson.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim Seifert, 2 Finn Allen, 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Jimmy Neesham, 6 Mitch Hay (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell (capt), 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Zakary Foulkes/Will O’Rourke, 10 Jacob Duffy, 11 Ben SearsPakistan got in Abbas Afridi for Jahandad Khan for the previous game, and also brought in an extra spinner in Abrar for Mohammed Ali. They are unlikely to change a winning combination for the fourth T20I.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Haris (wk), 2 Hasan Nawaz, 3 Salman Ali Agha (capt), 4 Irfan Khan, 5 Shadab Khan, 6 Abdul Samad, 7 Khushdil Shah, 8 Abbas Afridi, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Haris Rauf

Pitch and conditions: Clouds expected

The average first-innings score at the Bay Oval since 2020 is 176. Teams batting first have won four out of the last five completed matches at the venue. Though it may remain a bit cloudy, no weather interruption is expected on Sunday.

Stats that matter

• Since 2020, New Zealand and Pakistan have played each other in 26 T20Is. That is the most either team has played against any opponent in this period. New Zealand’s next most-frequent opponents have been India (14 matches), while Pakistan’s have been England (16 matches).
• Among the top ten teams in the T20I rankings, New Zealand are the only team against whom Pakistan have won a T20I since 2024, having won won four out of 13 matches against them since then.
• Sodhi has 27 wickets against Pakistan, the most he has against any opponent in T20Is, followed by 25 against India.
• Chapman needs 32 runs to become the leading run-scorer for New Zealand against Pakistan in T20Is. Currently, Kane Williamson leads the charts with 667 runs against Pakistan.

Scholfield made 83 while Potts hit the winning runs after she and MacDonald-Gay earlier took three wickets each to restrict Australia A to 195

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2025A superb 83 from Paige Scholfield, three wickets each from Grace Potts and Ryana MacDonald-Gay and some clutch tail-end batting guided England A to a thrilling final-over one-wicket win against Australia A in the third 50-over match in Sydney.Potts and MacDonald-Gay had been pivotal with the ball in restricting Australia A to just 195 but both were required to hold their nerve with the bat in the chase after Scholfield had put England A on the brink of a much-needed victory after they had lost the previous two 50-over matches in the series.Scholfield and Seren Smale had the chase under control at 152 for 4 following an 88-run stand after England A had initially slumped to 23 for 3 and 64 for 4 in pursuit of 196. Smale was run out by Sianna Ginger for 34 before Scholfield was bowled by Ella Hayward for 83 from 102 balls. Kirstie Gordon fell cheaply to leave England A needing 31 runs from 40 balls with only three wickets in hand.MacDonald-Gay struck two boundaries in a valuable 16 but fell with 14 still required. Potts joined Georgia Davis and the pair scratched out 13 of them but Davis was run out by Hayward trying for the winning run off the last ball of the 49th over. The run out completed an outstanding individual performance from Hayward who earlier made 76 from 92 and took 1 for 24 with two maidens from 10 overs.Ginger bowled the final over for Australia A needing one wicket for a tie. Potts held her nerve striking a boundary off the second ball of the final over to secure the win.Potts had earlier ripped through Australia A’s top order with a 10-over spell claiming 3 for 30 with a maiden and 44 dots. She had both in-form Australia A openers caught behind including claiming Georgia Voll for a second ball duck.Australia A No. 5 Charli Knott was also caught behind in Potts’ sixth over of her opening spell. MacDonald-Gay then added to their woes when she came on first change to trap captain Nicole Faltum lbw for a duck and leave the hosts in deep trouble at 29 for 5.But excellent half-centuries from Hayward and Courtney Webb rescued the innings. Webb made 53 from 80 with six boundaries in a century stand with Hayward who then added 48 with Hannah Darlington for the eighth wicket and 17 more with Sophie Day to drag the total up to something defendable. Darlington made 20 off 32 in another vital cameo following her unbeaten 26 from 14 in the previous match.The two teams will now prepare for a four-day red-ball match starting on Saturday to round out the multi-format series.

Manchester City are leading the race for a “world-class” star, and they are now prepared to explore a deal in the January transfer window.

Man City looking at signing new forward after slow start

Man City’s opening match was full of promise, picking up an impressive 4-0 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they have since gone on to lose their last two matches, and Rodri was very critical of the performance in the 2-1 loss at Brighton.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner said: “Some of the mistakes we are making are kids’ mistakes; you are not concentrating and paying attention. The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete.”

Pep Guardiola initially attempted to ‘raise the level’ by overhauling his squad during the summer transfer window, although there were very few additions in forward areas, with the now injured Rayan Cherki the only outright attacker to move to the Etihad Stadium.

That is despite City being heavily linked with a new winger, and at one stage they were preparing an offer for Rodrygo, but the Brazilian ultimately ended up remaining at Real Madrid.

However, there has now been a new update on Man City’s pursuit of Rodrygo, with a report from Caught Offside revealing they are leading the race for the 24-year-old’s signature. It is claimed that the forward is seen as a “perfect fit” and a “key piece” in City’s fluid attacking system.

During the summer transfer window, Arsenal were informed that Madrid would be prepared to listen to offers of around €80m (£69m), which suggests it may take a similar amount to get a deal done this winter, with City now willing to explore a January move.

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Interestingly, Madrid are open to cashing-in on the Brazil international this summer, which may be music to Pep’s ears, given that the 54-year-old is known to be a long-term admirer.

"World-class" Rodrygo could take Man City's attack to next level

Oscar Bobb has made a decent start to the season, scoring at the Club World Cup, before going on to pick up an assist against Wolves on the opening day, but the Norwegian is still yet to truly establish himself at the top level.

As such, Pep may be keen to bring in a more proven winger this winter, and the Real Madrid forward is now a seasoned Brazil international, scoring seven goals in 33 appearances for his country, while also picking up 119 goal contributions in 272 outings for his current employers.

Journalist Kyle Bonn has previously praised the former Santos man for his ability to put away chances, which is evidenced by the fact he has averaged 0.35 non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, despite being expected to score 0.21 per 90.

Rodrygo could take Man City’s attack to the next level, so it is exciting news that they have now moved into pole position in the race for his signature.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson has dropped an important injury claim regarding one of his teammates ahead of the Champions League clash with Atlético Madrid.

Van Dik excited about "fantastic" Isak

The Premier League champions won 1-0 at Burnley on Sunday afternoon, being frustrated for large periods but winning it through a last-gasp Mohamed Salah penalty.

Liverpool could have done with new signing Alexander Isak’s ruthlessness at times, and speaking after the game, captain Virgil van Dijk waxed lyrical over the Swede, having trained with him last week.

“Very good! Listen, he is going to be very important for the football club. Obviously he is a fantastic player and he has to realise that this is another step up, there’s more things to be asked from him on and off the pitch, but I’m not worried whatsoever.

“He is going to do pretty well, like the other new boys as well. It’s time for him now to get as fit as possible as quickly as possible and be important with goals, with link-up play – like Hugo [Ekitike] is already as well. It’s good to have competition. We have to push each other to be successful and I’m confident that will be the case.”

Alisson drops injury update regarding teammate

Speaking to ESPN after the Burnley game [via Sport Witness], Alisson claimed that Alexis Mac Allister should be fine after being on the end of a bad tackle at Turf Moor, suggesting he should be fit for Liverpool’s visit of Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, also praising the Reds’ new signings.

“He’s a very strong man. Nothing’s wrong with him, he was just in a bit of pain. I think he’s fine.

“All the players who left were important. Lucho, Darwin, they all made a difference for us with goals or their playing, fighting, defending. They had good energy, and we miss them. The ones who arrived are stars, they’re doing very well with their contributions, they have a lot of quality. It’s clear we want to improve because we need to; we have many competitions to play.”

Mac Allister hasn’t quite got going this season, having been injured at one point, and he was off the pace at Burnley, perhaps due to his exploits for Argentina during the international break.

That said, the 26-year-old still has a strong claim for being Liverpool’s most important midfielder, with his blend of quality, work rate, intelligence and leadership making him one of the first names on the team sheet.

It will be interesting to see if Arne Slot starts Mac Allister against Atlético, though, perhaps deciding to give him a breather, partnering Ryan Gravenberch with Dominik Szoboszlai.

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That would then allow Mac Allister to be fresh for Saturday’s Merseyside derby clash with Everton at Anfield, which is the more important game at this stage of the season.

Following the departures of Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey, one transfer insider now “expects” Aston Villa to complete the signing of an impressive attacker who Unai Emery loves.

Latest on Aston Villa's transfer targets

Whilst it’s been a frustrating summer for those at Villa Park, the sale of Ramsey has likely handed them some much-needed breathing room on the PSR front. It’s not a deal that earned many fans around the Midlands club, with both John McGinn and Tyrone Mings airing their disappointment, but it is one that could hand Emery’s side a much-welcomed boost this month.

With less than two weeks left until the transfer window slams shut, it seems as though Villa’s focus is on attacking additions. Despite already signing Evann Guessand earlier this summer, the Villans have reportedly set their sights on a loan deal to sign Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, who now wants to leave Stamford Bridge this month.

Emery is reportedly a huge admirer of the forward, who worked under the Spaniard at Villarreal. Whether Chelsea accept any potential loan offer is another question entirely, however. The Blues may be keen to sell their out-of-favour forward who they value at as much as £80m.

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Alas, that £80m valuation is one that Aston Villa are unlikely to reach, which could yet see them turn towards other options before the end of the month.

Insider "expects" Aston Villa to sign Asensio

Speaking to Football Insider, former Villa Park scout Mick Brown claimed that he expects Aston Villa to sign Marco Asensio this summer. The winger spent last season on loan in the Midlands and enjoyed a successful spell. Now, Brown believes that he will arrive on a permanent basis from Paris Saint-Germain.

After scoring eight goals and assisting one more in 21 appearances for Aston Villa last season, it should come as no shock that those in the Midlands want to welcome Asensio on a permament just a few months later.

Dubbed “special” by former Premier League ace Andros Townsend, the PSG star could get the chance to return to his best form once again at Villa Park in a crucial World Cup year. A player who Emery reportedly wants, it’s simply a deal that makes sense for all parties before the end of the window.

Leeds United had a disappointing end to the summer transfer window because they failed to bring in the attacking reinforcements that Daniel Farke wanted for his squad.

The Whites reportedly had a deal agreed to sign Harry Wilson from Fulham on a permanent deal before their Premier League rivals backed out of a move at the last-minute.

Farke did not get any new attackers through the door on deadline day, partly because of the Cottagers pulling the plug late in the day, and will now have to work with what he has at his disposal.

The Championship champions did add attackers in other positions earlier in the summer transfer window, signing Noah Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Lukas Nmecha.

Leeds won their opening game of the season, against Everton, thanks to a penalty from Nmecha on his debut, but they have failed to score in their two Premier League outings since then.

The centre-forward position is an intriguing one for the Whites because they do not appear to have a clear, standout, starter at this moment in time.

Why Leeds have a striker problem

Farke has a problem with his number nine position because Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha, and Joel Piroe are all fairly unconvincing options on current evidence.

It does not seem realistic to expect any of them to score goals on a regular basis in the Premier League when you consider their form this season and in recent seasons.

Calvert-Lewin, for example, scored three goals in 26 Premier League games for Everton last season, and has failed to score more than seven goals in a league season in each of the last four campaigns, per Sofascore.

The former England international has also missed four ‘big chances’ and missed in a penalty shoot-out against Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup in his first two appearances for Leeds, per Sofascore.

These statistics do not suggest that Calvert-Lewin is likely to establish himself as a regular scorer for the Whites, but his physicality could still give him the edge over Piroe.

Minutes

78

58

Goals

0

0

Key passes

0

0

Assists

0

0

Ground duels won

0/3

0/0

Aerial duels won

1/5

0/3

As you can see in the table above, the Dutch striker struggled badly in the first two games of the season, particularly in physical battles, and was then an unused substitute against Newcastle United.

This has not come as a surprise, though, because Piroe lost a whopping 73% of his duels in the Championship last term, but was able to score 19 goals, per Sofascore, because of how dominant his team were in possession.

Calvert-Lewin, meanwhile, won 45% of his duels and 51% of his aerial contests in the Premier League with the Toffees in the 2024/25 campaign, which suggests that he can provide significantly more to the team as a physical presence up front.

However, the English forward’s lacklustre goal return in recent seasons suggest that there could still be a chance for Piroe to get game time if the former Everton man fails to deliver in front of goal.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Whilst Calvert-Lewin, despite his physicality, may not put an end to Piroe’s career at Elland Road, there is a player in the academy who could make the step up to make the Dutchman reconsider his future in West Yorkshire.

We have seen Rio Nguhoma, 16, and Max Dowman, 15, make their Premier League bows for Liverpool and Arsenal this season, and Leeds could follow suit by unleashing Harry Gray in the top-flight.

Why Harry Gray could end Joel Piroe's Leeds career

Supporters already know his brother’s story and how Farke trusted him to play week-in, week-out in the Championship as a 17 and 18-year-old, which led to him moving to Tottenham Hotspur and winning the Europa League.

Farke handed Harry Gray his debut at the age of 16 against Stoke City in the Championship in April, which shows that the youngster is a player who is in the manager’s mind for the first-team.

The England youth international, who turns 17 next month, has enjoyed a sensational start to the current campaign at U21 level and the manager could end Piroe’s career by taking inspiration from Dowman, Nguhoma, even Lamine Yamal, to unleash Gray in the Premier League.

Analyst Ben Mattinson, as shown in the post above, described the teenage forward as a ‘powerful’ and ‘pacy’ player, two attributes that could make him more effective as a physical presence than Piroe, who would not typically be described as either of those things.

Gray, who has also been described as “the real deal” by Mattinson, also has an impressive goalscoring record to back up his physical attributes in the number nine position.

Appearances

11

11

Minutes

819

848

Goals

8

6

Minutes per goal

102

141

Assists

0

2

As you can see in the table above, the 16-year-old marksman has scored 14 goals in 22 games for the club at U18 and U21 level to date, which speaks to his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

That haul includes three goals and two assists in four matches for the U21s in all competitions during the 2025/26 campaign, showing that he is currently in form and flying in front of goal.

This plays into why now could be the perfect time for Farke to make the bold call to unleash him at Premier League level, because Gray is full of confidence and on fire for the U21s, which could provide him with a fearless and confident attitude to take into the first-team.

If the England U17 international can make that step up, whether it comes now or in the coming months or seasons, then it could spell the end of Piroe’s time at Elland Road.

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1 ByDan Emery Sep 3, 2025

The Dutchman was an unused substitute behind Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin last time out and Gray’s emergence in the senior side could leave him struggling to make the bench, and forcing him to consider his future.

تحدث محمد الجارحي، عضو مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، والمرشح لنفس المنصب في انتخابات الأهلي القادمة، عن طموحاته مع المجلس الجديد، خلال الفترة القادمة.

ويخوض محمد الجارحي، انتخابات الأهلي ضمن قائمة الكابتن محمود الخطيب، والتي تجري يوم الجمعة 31 أكتوبر الجاري.

وقال الجارجي خلال تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي بالنادي: “استاد الأهلي الحلم الكبير، وضعت رؤية طموحة عنوانها الاستثمار من أجل الاستدامة، فالأهلي نادٍ كبير بحجم إنفاق ضخم، لذلك سوف تسعى القائمة إلى تنمية موارد النادي لضمان مستقبله واستمراريته، مع خطة متكاملة لخدمة الأعضاء وتطوير الفروع”.

وأضاف: “استاد الأهلي يأتي على رأس أولويات القائمة في الدورة المقبلة، وأتمنى أن يحتفل الأهلي بأول مباراة عليه قريبًا ولن أدخر جهدًا من أجل خدمة الجمعية العمومية وجماهير الأهلي، طموحات الجميع في القائمة بلا حدود لتقديم أفضل الخدمات للأعضاء والصعود على منصات التتويج في كل الألعاب، كما أن ملف الجمهور يأتي في أولويات العمل، لعودته بقوة إلى المدرجات لملء الإستاد في كل المباريات”.

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وتابع: “كان لي الشرف في اختياري من الكابتن محمود الخطيب أمينًا عامًا لمؤسسة الأهلي للتنمية المجتمعية، التي ترفع شعار الأهلي للجميع لأن الأهلي ليس مجرد نادٍ رياضي، بل مؤسسة مجتمعية متكاملة هدفها تقديم خدماتها في كل ربوع مصر، نحرص دائمًا على تسهيل الإجراءات لأعضاء الجمعية العمومية، حتى يتمكنوا من الإدلاء بأصواتهم بسهولة، ونثق في الإدارة التنفيذية وقدرتها على توفير كل سبل الراحة، يوم الانتخابات في الأهلي يوم احتفالي وكرنفالي، وصوت العضو يمثل الآلاف من جماهير الأهلي”.

وأكمل: “نعمل على تطوير ملف كرة القدم ليظل الأهلي في القمة، كما اعتدنا دائمًا، نواصل دعم كل الألعاب الرياضية لتظل راية الأهلي عاليًة، طموحاتنا بلا حدود، والأهلي يستحق دائمًا القمة، لأن جمهور الأهلي لا يقبل إلا بالمركز الأول، لذلك نعمل باجتهاد على دعم الفرق واستقدام أفضل العناصر من لاعبين ومدربين يليقون باسم النادي وتاريخه الكبير”.

وواصل: “لدينا خطة طموحة لإنشاء فروع جديدة في مختلف المحافظات، وخلال السنوات الثماني الماضية نجح مجلس إدارة الأهلي في بناء جسور الثقة مع أعضاء الجمعية العمومية، بتنفيذ ما تم الوعد به، كل مقترح كان قابلاً للتنفيذ تم انجازه بالفعل، ولهذا تعهدت القائمة الحالية بالمضي قدما على نفس النهج في المرحلة المقبلة”.

وأتم: “ملف كرة القدم سيظل أولوية قصوى بالنسبة لنا، فجمهور الأهلي لا يقبل سوى بالمركز الأول، لذلك نعمل على التعاقد مع لاعبين ومدربين على قدر اسم الأهلي، ونجحنا في تحقيق العديد من البطولات من خلال تلك الإسترارتيجية فطموحاتنا بلا سقف، ونعمل على تطوير كل الألعاب الرياضية داخل النادي، ونجحنا الموسم الماضي في حصد 7 بطولات في كرة اليد، ورفعنا سقف الطموحات في كل الألعاب، بجانب تطوير البنية التحتية وتجديد الصالات في الألعاب الفردية والجماعية ودعم الفرق الرياضية لتحقيق المزيد من الإنجازات”.