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Former Scottish midfielder Stephen McGinn has been reacting to Celtic’s reported interest in Fabian Rieder.

What’s the latest Celtic transfer news?

The Hoops have made a start on bolstering their squad ahead of the new season under Brendan Rodgers, who has reportedly been handed a £30m transfer budget this summer.

Cash has already been spent on Odin Thiago Holm and winger Marco Tilio, who have both signed from Valerenga and Melbourne City on five-year deals. More arrivals could soon be on the way, with Scotland internationals Kieran Tierney and Scott McTominay linked with potential moves to Parkhead.

Gangwon FC forward Yang Hyun-jun is another who may soon be on the way to Glasgow, with a £2.1m fee already agreed between the two clubs. A transfer ‘breakthrough’ has emerged in recent days, with rumours suggesting that the K League 1 side are now ready to allow the forward to leave immediately instead of in January.

Alongside Yang, Rieder is another player who the Hoops are reportedly interested in. The Young Boys midfielder could cost upwards of £15m, though, but it looks as if the funds are there, especially following Jota's £25m move to Saudi Arabia.

Talking on Go Radio's Football Show, relayed by Glasgow Times, McGinn said that Reider could be a “next level” signing in a possible deal worth £15m – which would be a club record fee for Celtic.

"With all the talk of Brendan Rodgers and taking them to the next level in Europe it's probably the first signing that suggests that. Some of the players that have been suggested and have been signed so far are the type of signings Celtic have been making in the last five or six years.

"I think Reider is one of those next level signings. I think as far back as 25 years the signing limit for Celtic has been around that £5-£6million mark.

"It's the first player of this kind of new vision of taking Celtic to the next level."

Who is Fabian Rieder?

Rieder is 21 years of age and is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play in a deeper midfield role or out on the right-hand side.

The Swiss U21 international is valued at a career-high €15m Transfermarkt valuation and has come through the Young Boys academy.

Rieder already has plenty of experience under his belt, making 116 senior appearances for his current employers, scoring 14 goals and providing 23 assists. Therefore, he could provide Rodgers with a solid versatile midfield option and could represent a statement signing both in the short and long run.

It looks as if a deal could be one to keep an eye on, but the Hoops may need to write a big cheque for his services.

West Indies allrounder Andre Russell has been banned for one year from cricket for a whereabouts clause violation by an independent anti-doping panel in Kingston. The ban is effective from January 31, 2017 and will last until January 30, 2018.The immediate impact of the ban is that Russell will not be able to play the Pakistan Super League in February and the IPL in April.

WADA on whereabouts

1. What are whereabouts?
Whereabouts are information provided by a limited number of top elite athletes about their location to the International Sport Federation (IF) or National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO) that included them in their respective registered testing pool as part of these top elite athletes’ anti-doping responsibilities.
2. Why are whereabouts important for clean sport?
Because out-of-competition doping controls can be conducted without notice to athletes, they are one of the most powerful means of deterrence and detection of doping and are an important step in strengthening athlete and public confidence in doping-free sport. Accurate whereabouts information is crucial to ensure efficiency of the anti-doping programs, which are designed to protect the integrity of sport and to protect clean athletes.
The concept of out-of-competition is not new. Experience has shown that out-of-competition testing is crucial to the fight against doping, in particular because a number of prohibited substances and methods are detectable only for a limited period of time in an athlete’s body while maintaining a performance-enhancing effect. The only way to perform such testing is by knowing where athletes are, and the only way to make it efficient is to be able to test athletes at times at which cheaters may be most likely to use prohibited substances and methods.
For more information, click here

A three-member tribunal comprising Hugh Faulkner, Dr Marjorie Vassell and Dixeth Palmer, a former Jamaica cricketer, found Russell guilty of being negligent in filing his whereabouts on three separate occasions within a 12-month period in 2015. That – under the World Anti-Doping Agency rules – amounted to a failed dope test.Patrick Foster, Russell’s lawyer, confirmed the verdict and said he would discuss all options with his client including appealing the ban.In March 2016, the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission pressed charges of negligence against Russell for not filing his whereabouts on January 1, July 1 and July 25 in 2015 despite several reminders through calls, e-mails and written letters.In his defense, Russell had told the tribunal that he had not been negligent. Considering his cricketing commitments around the world, and his own lack of training in filing the required paperwork, he said he had authorised his agent Will Quinn and Tajae Smith, one of the JADCO officials, to take care of the process.However, JADCO legal counsel Lackston Robinson disagreed saying the players had been offered education programmes on anti-doping which also involved filing procedure. Robinson accused Russell of “gross negligence” during the hearings.On November 17 last year, while summing up his arguments during the final hearing before the tribunal retired to decide on the verdict, Foster told the tribunal that if firm evidence of negligence was indeed established and Russell was found guilty then, keeping in mind his history of complying with testing protocols in the past, he ought to be banned for not more than one year.At the moment, it is unclear whether Russell will appeal against the verdict, but even if he were to do so, a quick solution to his problem does not seem possible. Depending on where he files his claim and how long it takes to examine the evidence, he might have to deal with another long and difficult legal battle.That means it is highly likely that Russell will miss his next assignment, the Pakistan Super League which starts on February 9. His team, Islamabad United, have signed England fast bowler Steven Finn as a replacement. Kolkata Knight Riders, the franchise Russell plays for in the IPL, might also think of investing in a replacement at the player auction in February.Later in 2017, if the ban stays, Russell will miss out on playing for Nottinghamshire in the NatWest T20 Blast and for defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League.

The hosts took the “wind out of Pakistan’s sails” in the 21 overs on day one, said New Zealand batting coach Craig McMillan, though he remained wary of what could continue to be a tough pitch. New Zealand had moved to 77 for 2 in Hamilton after being asked to bat on a lively surface, having become increasingly confident as the morning wore on. They hit 38 runs in the six overs preceding the rain that washed out the remainder of the day’s play.”It was favourable conditions for the bowlers, so I thought the way we played took the wind out of their sails to be fair,” McMillan said. “We were very positive and decisive in that first session. I thought our guys – especially Ross Taylor – were pretty harsh on any width that was offered up, and he made the most of it.”Taylor remained not out on 29 off 20 balls, cracking six boundaries – five of those behind square on the offside. It was a particularly important innings for Taylor, who has not only been in modest form, but has been troubled by a growth in his left eye over the past week.”I thought Ross moved really well today,” McMillan said. “Even the first ball that he left – sometimes he doesn’t like leaving the ball. I thought his decision-making was excellent. Sometimes he got some short wide ones. We know how well he enjoys playing the cut shot, so it was perfect really.”Opener Jeet Raval continued his bright start in Test cricket, finishing 35 not out off 63 balls. He had been dropped at first slip by Sami Aslam in the first over, but was largely secure against the right-arm bowlers, though Mohammad Amir continued to trouble him through the session.”He looked really good today. Always helps when you get dropped in the first over. I thought it was a quality first over from Mohammad Amir where he asked some serious questions from the left-handers,” McMillan said. “But Jeet just showed a composure that we’ve seen from him at the level below. It’s nice that you can see him take that step up and see that composure again. It’s what we’ve come to expect and what we know about him.”Really the key for any Test opener is the decision making. The good thing about this Pakistan bowling attack is that they ask a lot of questions. We know we have to be precise in the decisions we make at the top of the order in seamer-friendly conditions. I think he’s shown the ability to do that, and it’s been great to see.”McMillan expected the pitch to be just as tough upon resumption on day two because it will have been “sweating under the covers”. Nevertheless, he said New Zealand had been surprised by Pakistan’s omission of Yasir Shah. The visitors chose four quicks instead, perhaps swayed by the colour of the Hamilton surface, and the wet forecast over the first three days.”Yasir is a world-class bowler, so it’s good for us, I think,” he said. “If the game goes along to five days, you’d think that days four and five, a spinner might be needed and will come into calculations. They’ve decided that he wasn’t needed and they went for the extra fast bowler. We’ve got Mitchell Santner on our side, so we’ve got pretty much all bases covered.”

Liverpool are in the market to sign another central midfielder despite the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister earlier this month.

Liverpool transfer news – Reds hold Gravenberch talks

According to James Pearce of the Athletic, Jurgen Klopp has a number of new central players on his radar with the transfer window opening for business on Wednesday.

The report details interest in the likes of Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone and Gabri Veiga but another option is Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch.

It's claimed that 'positive discussions' have already been held with the 21-year-old's camp, although a deal may well be difficult to conclude considering the Bundesliga champions currently do not want to sell.

Despite that, a rumoured price tag of £25m has been reported elsewhere.

Who does Ryan Gravenberch play like?

The Dutchman has been known as an emerging "top talent" – as dubbed by scout Jacek Kulig – for some time now.

Gravenberch initially broke through at Ajax where he scored three goals and assisted six throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

That was a breakthrough season for the youngster who eventually signed for Bayern Munich just last summer.

Therefore, it would be rather strange for the German giants to cash in so soon, but if a high enough offer was submitted, there is a feeling they may well sell.

Such a move would undoubtedly benefit Liverpool who need to replenish their midfield ranks following the departures of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita.

Another name on Klopp's list is the aforementioned Thuram, and coincidentally, he is just like Gravenberch.

According to FBref's 'similar players' model, the Frenchman is the fifth most comparable midfielder in Europe's top five leagues to the Bayern sensation.

Considering his valuation sits at around the £38m mark, a cheaper alternative could be sourced here.

And what a fine signing he'd be. Although Gravenberch only scored once in his debut term with Bayern, there is a sensational player waiting to be unlocked.

Both of the targets were particularly assured in possession this season, with 15-30 yard pass completion sitting at 91.5% and 89.1% in favour of the Netherlands international, via FBref.

There was little between their goal-creating actions per 90 minutes either with Thuram winning in that metric; 0.25 to 0.16.

Perhaps where they are most alike is in winning duels with Gravenberch making 0.63 tackles in the defensive third to the Nice gem's 0.78 while they made a very similar level of interceptions per 90; 1.41 v 1.34 in favour of the former Ajax man.

Both adept in possession, they carried the play forward along the floor in likeminded fashion with the Netherlands talent only just coming out on top; 47 to 46.7 per 90.

What the above rubberstamps is that although they don't surge forward like a rampant freight train, they are perfect at not just orchestrating the play, but breaking it up too.

That would seemingly be ideal for Mac Allister, with Liverpool's new £35m signing certainly a more attacking asset having contributed to 15 goals in 2022/23, 13 more than Gravenberch and five more than Thuram.

Signing all three would be a dream, but if Jorg Schamdtke cannot secure the latter's services, the Bayern sensation's signature would still be a mighty fine one,

Aston Villa are set to look towards the summer transfer window, following the close of the 2022/23 Premier League season.

The Villans couldn’t have imagined the success the campaign would bring, with them experiencing relegation form at the start of the term, to ending it with a spot in the UEFA Europa Conference League and a seventh-place finish.

Villa’s key to success has undoubtedly been the arrival of Unai Emery, who has fired the Midlands side up the table in less than a full season in charge.

Despite the campaign being a memorable one, the heights of the Spaniard’s success is set to go far beyond his first year at Villa Park with part of the process being recruitment in the transfer window.

A host of talent throughout Europe has been linked with a move to the Midlands already this summer, with Emery’s pull being significant due to his career triumphs and the magnitude of talent he has moulded.

The latest reports link a young prospect to the Premier League, and one that could bolster the Spaniard’s midfield.

What’s the latest on Ibrahima Bamba to Aston Villa?

As reported by Fabrizio Romano last week, Vitoria SC midfielder Ibrahima Bamba could make the switch to Villa Park this summer.

As per the report, it’s claimed that Villa have been “tracking” the player for a long time, with the 21-year-old expected to be on the move from the Portuguese side – reportedly valued around the €30m (£26m) mark.

Romano states that nothing has been agreed yet, and that many clubs are monitoring the youngsters' movements ahead of the window.

What could Ibrahima Bamba bring to Aston Villa?

Hailed as being a “special talent” by journalist Zach Lowy, Bamba has established himself as one of the continent's most talked about young players after a solid season in Liga Portugal.

Maintaining a Sofascore average match rating of 7.00 over 28 appearances highlights the consistency of the defensive-minded ace, which is supported by his season averages.

As per Sofascore, the Italy international wins 60% of his total duels averaging 5.0 per game this season in the league.

The youngster’s versatility in the defensive zones is one thing that makes him so highly regarded ahead of the transfer window, being equipped to play as both a centre-back and a defensive midfielder.

Lauded by U23 scout Antonio Mango as having it “all”, the scout expressed that it is “extremely difficult” for players to break through Bamba, as reinforced through him being dribbled past just 0.4 per game this season – as per Sofascore.

To put the numbers in comparison to what he could bring to Villa, midfield maestro Douglas Luiz is dribbled past 0.9 times on average per game, showing the immense level the starlet is playing at.

In the absence of Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn has dropped back to partner Luiz in defensive midfield, however signing Bamba could prove to be a vast upgrade on the Scotsman in adding depth to the middle of the park.

The 28-year-old averages 1.9 tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game, with the Italian excelling in his efforts by making 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game to showcase his "aggressive" presence in defensive areas.

Emery could relieve McGinn of his deep midfield duties in signing Bamba, who would be a formidable figure for any side to have in their arsenal this summer.

Celtic return to action in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon as they travel away from home to face Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox as confirmed champions.

The Hoops are 13 points clear of their rivals in the table and have the chance to extend the gap to a staggering 16 points with three matches left to play.

Ange Postecoglou's side secured the league title last week with a 2-0 win against Hearts and could use these last four games to rotate his side with a view to making decisions on what he wants to do with the squad in the summer transfer window.

How will Celtic line up against Rangers?

The Australian head coach could make three changes to the XI that started against Hearts last time out, with one in midfield and two in attack.

However, the defence could remain the same with Joe Hart between the sticks and a back four of; Anthony Ralston, Carl Starfelt, Yuki Kobayashi, and Greg Taylor.

Cameron Carter-Vickers has been ruled out for the remainder of this season with a knee injury and this has opened the door for January signing Kobayashi to showcase his quality on a regular basis.

In midfield, Aaron Mooy could be brought in to replace Matt O'Riley next to Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate. The 32-year-old has registered four goals and ten assists in 13 Premiership starts this season and the boss could give him an opportunity to add to his tallies against the Light Blues this afternoon.

On the wing, Daizen Maeda could make way for Liel Abada.

The Japan international has one goal in his last seven appearances and the latter has two goals and one assist in the same time, despite only starting once, which could lead to the £15k-per-week "revelation" – as he was dubbed by Alan Hutton – taking the 25-year-old's place this afternoon.

Finally, Kyogo Furuhashi came off with a knock against Hearts and Postecoglou could rest the club's star striker by offering Oh Hyeon-gyu a rare start after his goal off the bench last time out.

Oh has only started once of his 12 Premiership appearances and managed to plunder three goals for the club since arriving on a permanent deal in January and could be given a huge chance to impress whilst leading the line against Rangers today with Abada and Jota either side of him.

Predicted Celtic XI (4-3-3): Hart; Ralston, Starfelt, Kobayashi, Taylor; Hatate, McGregor, Mooy; Abada, Oh, Jota.

Liverpool are unlikely to appoint AS Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell in any role at Anfield, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest news involving Paul Mitchell?

As per Football Insider, Monaco sporting director Mitchell 'is not in the running' to take on a similar role at Anfield despite confirming that he would be leaving his position at the Ligue 1 outfit.

The report states that even though the Reds are actively trying to find a successor to the outgoing Julian Ward, Mitchell is not among the candidates in the running to assume the vacancy.

Manchester United could well be a potential destination for Mitchell, with The Independent claiming that Sir Jim Ratcliffe's bidding party INEOS have 'earmarked' the 41-year-old to take up a role at Old Trafford should their efforts to take over the Premier League giants prove to be successful.

Mitchell has taken up roles at the likes of Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and RB Leipzig in his recruitment career; however, he now looks set for a new challenge following his choice to depart Monaco.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs has also concurred that he can't see Mitchell being brought to Anfield any time soon.

Jacobs told FFC: "I think that there is a very realistic possibility that Paul Mitchell, should his next move be the Premier League, does end up at Manchester United. We've heard rumours about Liverpool, but I'm told that there's nothing too much in that at this point and we've heard links with Chelsea, which are born out of the fact that Mauricio Pochettino has a tremendous professional and personal relationship with Mitchell, but Chelsea are not looking."

What next for Liverpool this season?

Liverpool will continue their search for a new sporting director in the background. However, Jurgen Klopp will have designs on continuing his side's good run of form in the Premier League as they look to keep their slim hopes of finishing in the top four alive.

The Reds are on a seven-match unbeaten run and have won their last five matches, setting them up nicely for the season run-in at Anfield.

In their last four fixtures, Liverpool will face Brentford, Leicester City, Aston Villa and Southampton as they bid to finish the season with a flourish following an inconsistent run of things across proceedings.

Being able to land in the Champions League slots looks to be an uphill battle just now that would require some of their rivals to drop points between now and the end of this term; nevertheless, Klopp will be desperate to put pressure on those around Liverpool in the table to see what may unfold.

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has slammed seven Leeds United players, believing some shouldn’t even return for pre-season.

What’s Agbonlahor had to say on Leeds?

The Whites appear to be in free fall both on and off the pitch, with relegation from the Premier League a real possibility. Javi Gracia’s side conceded 11 goals in heavy home defeats to Crystal Palace and Liverpool and couldn’t turn things around on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Fulham.

The club are now just one point above the bottom three with six games remaining after conceding a whopping 18 times in five games this month.

Agbonlahor, who contributes to the likes of Sky Sports and talkSPORT, was talking to Football Insider regarding Leeds’ problems prior to the 2-1 defeat at Fulham. He took aim at the back four who started against Liverpool on Monday, while also describing loanee Weston McKennie as “terrible” and slamming club-record signing Georginio Rutter.

“I’d strip the whole back four. I’d tell them not to come back to pre-season. Koch, Struijk, Ayling, Firpo, Kristensen – they’re not good enough.

“The striker, Rutter, hasn’t done anything. They’ve spent good money this season, but they’ve wasted all of it.”

What now for Leeds?

Gracia somehow has to get a tune out of Leeds’ squad over the next seven days, with two crucial games against relegation rivals Leicester City and Bournemouth coming up.

He made three changes to the side that lost to Liverpool, bringing back captain Liam Cooper and Max Wober. The former of the two was Leeds’ best-rated player against Fulham on Saturday, as per SofaScore, so you’d expect that he could retain his place in the side against Leicester.

However, going forward, Gracia may need to have another re-think, with the likes of Brenden Aaronson and Jack Harrison the two worst-rated starters against Fulham, giving possession away a combined 30 times and losing 20 of their 26 duels, which could result in someone like Wilfried Gnonto coming back into Gracia’s thinking.

Something has to change quickly if Leeds are to remain in the top flight, and after conceding more goals than any other side in the league (62), you can see why Agbonlahor has hit out at a number of defenders.

Liverpool have 'confidence' they can land Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount this summer, says CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

As per Football Insider, Newcastle United expect Liverpool to pip them in the summer transfer window and beat them to the signing of Mount.

The same outlet also state that a contract for the 24-year-old to join Liverpool has been 'prepared and approved' as Jurgen Klopp eyes making a marquee addition to his midfield in the forthcoming off-season.

Nevertheless, The Evening Standard have reported that Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has resumed negotiations with Mount over him signing a new agreement at Stamford Bridge following months of deadlock.

Boehly has asked the England international to agree to a one or two-year deal to extend his current terms that run out in 2024. At the same time, Chelsea are believed to value Mount at around £70 million in an attempt to ward off keen suitors, including Liverpool alongside Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester City.

CBS Sports journalist Jacobs thinks that Liverpool have a good chance of bringing Mount to Anfield this summer.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jacobs said: "Liverpool will push there. He's definitely one of the big priorities and there is a confidence at Liverpool's end that they can get Mount for a bargain due to the contract winding down.

"Now we have to wait and see whether Chelsea's new manager impacts anything and what Chelsea do, in response to firm interest, to try and keep the player because, even though he hasn't had his best season, Chelsea still don't want to lose Mount. But obviously, they're not going to go beyond the summer if he doesn't sign a contract and risk not taking the fee."

Would Mason Mount be a good signing for Liverpool?

He'd certainly add some fresh ideas to the Reds' ageing midfield and could be the ideal foil for Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez in attack.

The 24-year-old has excelled compared to his positional peers in the art of shots on goal, having had 2.41 per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, meaning he ranks in the top 3% for this metric against other midfielders in Europe's top five divisions (via FBref).

In total, Mount has made 35 appearances for Chelsea this season in all competitions, notching three goals and six assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Evidently, Mount has flickered in and out of periods of inconsistency in 2022/23; however, he still produces a lot of useful output from the middle of the park and could excel under Klopp if the German coach entices the midfielder to swap west London for Merseyside in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur could move for Brendan Rodgers to replace Antonio Conte as manager, according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs.

Who could be the next Tottenham manager?

There have been several managers linked to replace Conte at Tottenham, although reports have suggested that Julian Nagelsmann is "not an option" for the north London club, having recently left Bundesliga side Bayern Munich.

Initial reports indicated that Mauricio Pochettino would "100%" be willing to return to his former club, however, the Argentine now appears to be out of the running, as he is looking to replace Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid manager at the end of the season.

As such, Spurs may have to consider options such as Burnley boss Vincent Kompany, who is said to be a leading contender for the role, as well as Luis Enrique, and the former Spain manager would be available without having to pay any compensation.

Taking to Twitter in the wake of Leicester City's decision to sack Brendan Rodgers on Sunday, Jacobs claimed that he could be an option for Tottenham, as he is held in high regard by the chairman. The reporter said:

"It wouldn't surprise me if Spurs consider Rodgers despite his record with Leicester this season. Although other candidates, Rodgers has always been admired by Daniel Levy."

Should Tottenham appoint Brendan Rodgers?

There will be understandable concern about appointing the Northern Irishman, given that he leaves Leicester 19th in the Premier League table, one point from safety with 10 games to go, however he has also enjoyed a great deal of success with the Foxes.

Gary Lineker has suggested the 50-year-old will "always be remembered fondly" by Leicester fans for what he achieved during his time there, most notably winning the 2020-21 FA Cup, also leading them to back-to-back fifth-place finishes.

In the wake of his recent sacking, West Ham United boss David Moyes hailed the FA Cup-winner as "superb", however Spurs can most likely attract better options, with more experience managing at the very highest level.

With Nagelsmann out of work, there should still be an opportunity to tempt the 35-year-old, who is considered Tottenham's first-choice manager target, however they will need to have a very strong end to the Premier League season, to ensure they are able to offer Champions League football.