أشاد نبيل معلول، المدير الفني السابق للترجي التونسي، بلاعب الأهلي الحالي وبمستواه في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وودّع الأهلي بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025، بعدما احتل المركز الرابع في المجموعة الأولى، إثر تعادله بنتيجة (4-4) أمام بورتو البرتغالي في الجولة الأخيرة.

وقال نبيل معلول، عبر قناة “التاسعة سبورت” التونسية: “محمد علي بن رمضان أظهر أنه من كبار اللاعبين التونسيين في لقائه الأول مع الأهلي، منذ ظهوره الأول، سألني الكثيرون من مصر عنه، وأخبرتهم أنه ما زال قادرًا على تقديم المزيد، وسينسجم مع مروان عطية في خط الوسط، وسيتفاهم مع زيزو وتريزيجيه وبقية اللاعبين”.

طالع.. محسن صالح: كولر طلب رحيل نجم الأهلي.. وخشيت صدامه مع هذا اللاعب

وتابع: “ما أعجبني في الأهلي أنه يمتلك العديد من الحلول، مثل أشرف بن شرقي وزيزو، والمهاجم الفلسطيني القوي جدًّا وسام أبو علي، وبن رمضان أضاف البصمة التي كانت تنقص الأهلي، فهو لاعب قادر على قطع الكرات، والتمرير، والتسجيل بنفس الكفاءة، وهذه صفات نادرة في إفريقيا”.

وأضاف: “بن رمضان يمتلك شخصية قوية، ولياقة بدنية عالية، وكل ذلك يؤهله لأن يكون له مكان في فريق يعجّ بالنجوم مثل الأهلي”.

وتطرّق معلول إلى أداء الأهلي: “المدرب الحالي للأهلي (ريبيرو) لم يحصل على فرصته الكاملة لتجهيز اللاعبين، وقد قلت سابقًا إنه كان ينبغي استمرار عماد النحاس، لكن ريبيرو الذي رأيته أثناء تدريبه لأورلاندو، يتمتع بتنظيم كبير، إلا أن الفريق لم يجد بعد توازنه الدفاعي”.

واختتم: “ريبيرو أعاد النزعة الهجومية التي كان يتميز بها الأهلي في عهد أبو تريكة، ومحمد بركات وحسام غالي، لقد أعاد لنا صورة الأهلي في فترة مانويل جوزيه، الأهلي نادٍ منظم إداريًا، والآن المدرب يستطيع تنظيم خطوطه بشكل أفضل، ويعرف إمكانات وأدوار كل لاعب، وأنا متأكد من أن الأهلي تحت قيادة المدرب الحالي وفكره، سيسيطر على البطولات”.

Chelsea are a side who could be featuring in the Champions League next season, highlighting how impressive Enzo Maresca has been during his first year in charge.

The Italian took the reins in the summer, looking to build on the work done by Mauricio Pochettino the season prior, potentially winning a trophy before the end of the campaign.

The Blues remain in the Europa Conference League, facing a quarter-final clash with Legia Warsaw to move them one step closer to a maiden trophy for the 45-year-old.

However, they’ve faced some struggles in recent weeks, losing three of the last five Premier League outings and needing a reaction after the international break to maintain their top-four status.

Regardless of what is achieved between now and the end of the season, two players may be moved on at the next opportunity, after failing to make a positive impression over the last few months.

Why Sanchez & Nkunku could leave Chelsea this summer

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez has often been the number one option for Maresca in between the sticks, but not without his mistakes, often leading to questions about his selection.

The Spaniard cost £25m from Brighton back in the summer of 2023, but he’s made five errors leading to goals – the most of any ‘keeper in the division, with many supporters voicing their displeasure.

At the other end of the pitch, striker Christopher Nkunku has also failed to match the expectations placed on him after his £52m move during the same summer.

The Frenchman has only scored three league goals in 2024/25, with the hierarchy potentially wanting to cash in on his services in the summer amid interest from elsewhere in January.

With the aforementioned pair potentially finding themselves playing away from Stamford Bridge next season, the manager could also offload one player who’s failed to deliver when he’s had the opportunity to shine.

The player who Chelsea need to sell in the summer

The summer of 2024 was the first opportunity for Maresca to make the additions he wanted to put his own spin on the Chelsea side to try and catapult them to league and European success.

Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto both arrived in West London to provide depth in the final third, with the latter costing £54m from fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall also moved to the club, following the Italian in leaving Leicester City after achieving promotion with the Foxes at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

The 26-year-old cost in the region of £30m during the summer, but has ultimately failed to make the impression you would expect from a player who joined for such a big fee.

He’s only featured nine times in the league to date, with only one of those coming from a starting role – having to settle for Conference League minutes to impress, but has still struggled to stake his claim for a regular starting position.

Dewsbury-Hall managed to find the net in the last European outing, but it’s still not been enough to break into Maresca’s plans, leading to creator Alex Goldberg dubbing him as “shocking”.

However, he was subject to interest in the winter window after his lack of impact in West London, with the club potentially wanting to cash in on him after his lack of action in recent times.

Games played

9

Goals & assists

1

Pass accuracy

87%

Chances created

0.8

Dribble success

33%

Duels won

44%

Fouls committed

1.5

His stats from the league this campaign highlight how disappointing he’s been over the last couple of months, with the Englishman nowhere near the levels required for a player who cost a pretty penny.

Dewsbury-Hall does possess quality, but he’s been unable to extract it at the Bridge, with Maresca desperately needing to cut his losses on the former Leicester ace in the summer.

The club’s heavy spending was ultimately going to result in numerous players failing to deliver, with the 26-year-old up there with one of the worst pieces of business conducted in recent times, needing to cash in for added investment elsewhere.

It's not Isak: Chelsea now racing to sign "outstanding" £100m EPL striker

The Blues are now involved in a transfer battle for a Premier League striker, who could challenge for Nicolas Jackson’s starting spot.

ByDominic Lund Mar 19, 2025

But a PCB official tells ESPNcricinfo that the board has emails from BCB and SLC saying they have no issues playing in Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2023

The PCB had proposed the hybrid model to account for the fact that India would not travel to Pakistan•AFP/Getty Images

The PCB presented its “hybrid” solution for hosting the 2023 Asia Cup again to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), believing that this time it had resolved logistical and technical concerns the ACC had raised. Officials from both sides met in Dubai on Tuesday, but it emerged that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) have both objected to holding a part of the tournament in the UAE.The hybrid model was the solution the PCB had proposed to account for the fact that India would not travel to Pakistan for the tournament because of ongoing political tensions between the governments of the two countries. The proposed solution will have India playing all their games in the UAE, with the rest of the tournament played out in Pakistan.But ESPNcricinfo understands that the BCB and SLC cited logistical challenges involved in travelling between Pakistan and a second country during the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be played in September, a month before the ODI World Cup is held across India. Both boards also pointed out that the extreme heat in the UAE in the first half of September was a deterrent, too.Related

PCB wants four out of 13 Asia Cup matches to be played in Pakistan

Pakistan could play their World Cup matches in Bangladesh

“We have written to the ACC to say that we are against the hybrid model,” Mohan de Silva, the SLC secretary, told ESPNcricinfo. “But beyond that, no final decision has been reached. It’s very hot in the UAE at that time of year.”In what is becoming an increasingly vexed issue, a PCB official countered by claiming that the board has emails from both BCB and SLC confirming they have no issues playing in Pakistan. The official also pointed out that last year’s Asia Cup was played from August 27 to September 11 in the UAE – the same window the boards are objecting to this time. In 2018, a 50-over version of the Asia Cup was also played in the UAE, from September 15-28. Both those events moved to the UAE as an alternative; in the first instance the tournament was supposed to be played in India but was moved because of India-Pakistan political tensions; last year it was shifted from Sri Lanka because of the political and economic turmoil the country was going through at the time.One suggestion is for the PCB to follow the example of SLC, which retained the hosting rights for the 2022 edition but host it outside the country. This time, Sri Lanka has been talked about as a probable neutral venue and de Silva said SLC was ready. “If the offer is there to play the tournament in Sri Lanka, we will take it,” he said. “Pakistan will be the official hosts.”But the PCB remains adamant that its solution works for everyone. “The PCB presented a hybrid model that resolves issues of logistics and travel and production,” a PCB official told ESPNcricinfo. “The board reiterated its position that we would not play the Asia Cup if the Pakistan-plus-neutral-venue model is rejected.”Afghanistan, meanwhile, are neutral. “In the previous two ACC meetings, we have strongly emphasised the importance of conducting the event at the scheduled time,” an Afghanistan spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo. “As for the venue, we are abiding by the decisions made by the ACC and have no interest in favouring or objecting to any particular board’s stance on the matter. Our priority is to ensure a fair and competitive tournament that benefits the growth and development of cricket in the region.”India and Pakistan have been grouped together along with Nepal in the six-nation Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in the 50-over format as preparation for the World Cup. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in the other group. A total of 13 matches, including the final, will be played across 13 days. Like the format from 2022, the top two teams from each group advance to the Super 4s and the top two teams then contest the final. That leaves open the possibility of India and Pakistan playing three times, should both make it to the final.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is making the most of his holidays and showed off a prize catch on Instagram: Two lobsters.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Haaland on holiday
• Man City endured trophyless campaign
• Norway star relaxes

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Haaland endured a trophyless season with City despite scoring 31 goals in 44 games in all competitions. Now on his holidays, the Norway international showed off his latest prize: Two succulent looking lobsters.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The City star snubbed a penalty in the FA Cup final as his side lost to Crystal Palace at Wembley, but he was on the spot on Instagram as he prepared to fire up the grill. His pictures also show off a putting green behind him, apparently in his garden.

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• WHAT HAALAND SAID

  Haaland simply wrote on Instagram: "Lobzter".

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Haaland's holiday will not last all that long as City will play in the Club World Cup this summer. They face Wydad AC on June 18.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras vai entrar em campo nesta quarta-feira, diante do Atlético-MG, com um desfalque importante no setor ofensivo: Rony, justamente aquele que é o maior artilheiro do clube na Libertadores. No entanto, o escolhido para ajudar o time a passar pelas quartas de final tem sido bem referendado: José Manuel López. Depois de marcar um gol de “matador”, ele é a esperança do time no ataque.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasNovo reforço do Santa Clara-POR, Pedro Bicalho se despede do PalmeirasPalmeiras02/08/2022LibertadoresDiante do Atlético-MG, Palmeiras coloca à prova invencibilidades na LibertadoresLibertadores02/08/2022PalmeirasPalmeiras ainda tem fatores a resolver para contratar Bruno TabataPalmeiras02/08/2022

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>Relembre a invencibilidade fora de casa do Palmeiras na Liberta

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> Veja tabela da Libertadores-2022 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Desde 2020 no clube, Rony foi essencial nas campanhas dos dois últimos títulos da Libertadores e da impecável participação palmeirense na edição atual. Não é à toa que o camisa 10 somou 16 gols nesses últimos torneios e se tornou o jogador com mais tentos com a camisa alviverde na história da competição. Somente diante do Cerro Porteño, nas oitavas de final, ele balançou a rede quatro vezes.

Mas Rony não poderá estar em campo nesta quarta-feira, contra o Atlético-MG, preservado para o jogo da volta, no Allianz Parque, no dia 10. Abel Ferreira não tem muito tempo para lamentar e precisa achar soluções dentro do elenco, que hoje conta com um jogador que ele vinha pedindo há meses e meses: um camisa 9 autêntico.

José Manuel López chegou do Lanús-ARG como um potencial valioso na posição de centroavante, com jogo aéreo qualificado, canhoto, que precisa de pouco espaço e poucos toques para marcar. Diferente do que Rony como “falso 9” oferece, mas diferente também do que havia à disposição antes do argentino, que é de fato, um “matador”.

E ele mostrou isso no duelo com o Ceará, no último sábado, quando recebeu passe açucarado de Scarpa e, cara a cara com o goleiro, teve tranquilidade e precisão para, com o pé direito, marcar seu primeiro gol com a camisa do Verdão. A torcida na hora se encantou, já que não via algo do tipo há tempos. Mesmo Rony, artilheiro na Liberta, cansou de perder gols desse tipo e irritar o torcedor palmeirense.

Sendo assim, López terá duas missões: substituir Rony, o maior artilheiro do clube no torneio, e atender às expectativas do torcedor que se encantou pela amostra até aqui. Tudo isso será feito na estreia do jovem de 21 anos jogando uma Libertadores. Uma responsabilidade e tanto para quem vai debutar na competição.

Liverpool are “going to make a move” for a new striker this summer and a “superb” Premier League star would be open to joining the Reds, according to former scout Mick Brown.

Kimmich among Liverpool transfer targets

According to a new update, Bayern Munich legend Joshua Kimmich is still on the Reds’ radar, seeing him as a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, even though the German has been more of a midfielder at times in recent years.

The 30-year-old former Champions League winner is out of contract at his current club this summer, and if he doesn’t sign an extension, there could be a huge scramble to snap him up on a free transfer.

Another story has suggested that Liverpool are leading the race to sign Netherlands international Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, with Manchester United providing competition for his signature.

Impressive young Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara has been mentioned as an option for the Reds, too, should Arne Slot feel the need to bring in further reinforcements in the middle of the park.

Liverpool backed to move for "superb" Brighton star

Speaking to Football Insider, Brown claimed that Liverpool and FSG are eyeing Brighton striker Joao Pedro, who would be keen to move to Anfield at the end of the season:

“If he’s given the chance to go to Liverpool, he’ll want to go. Knowing Brighton and the way they operate, they’ll want a massive fee for him. I think he’s certainly one Liverpool have been looking at, but I’m not convinced he’s the right man. You could put him in that team and he’d do a job, but I hear Liverpool are going to make a move for a top-class striker and goalscorer.

“They create so many chances that any striker playing in the team, for the most part, would do well. But they want a real top-level goalscorer because Nunez has been so inconsistent for them. They feel a real out-and-out forward would be just what they need to take them to the next level.”

Liverpool have issues down the middle of their attack currently, with Luis Diaz not always convincing in a new central role, Darwin Nunez’s finishing leaving a lot to be desired, and Diogo Jota injured far too often.

For that reason, a new striker needs to arrive this summer, with at least one of the above moving on, and Pedro, valued at £100m, represents a fantastic option for the Reds.

The 23-year-old has been hailed as a “superb” player by Premier League legend Alan Shearer, during a campaign that has seen him register seven goals and six assists.

A silky footballer with the ability to drop deep like Roberto Firmino and link with others, Pedro is also clinical when given the opportunity, and he could flourish alongside the likes of Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo.

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At 23, the Brazilian’s best years are still ahead of him, and as things stand, he looks like one of the strongest candidates to come in and bolster Liverpool’s attack ahead of next season.

A dazzling display of boundary hitting all around the ground from Rilee Rossouw in his unbeaten 82 off 37, combined with useful contributions from the other Delhi Capitals top-four batters, handed Punjab Kings a 15-run defeat and severely dented their playoff chances.Kings got close to the finish line in the end, thanks to a belligerent 94 off 48 from Liam Livingstone, but he fought a lone battle. The loss kept Kings on the eighth spot with 12 points. They now depend on many other results going their way to stay alive in the playoffs race because they have only one match to go, and three teams are already above 14 points, which is the most Kings can get to.Kings were mostly behind the asking rate right from the start because their only other batter who scored over 25 was Atharva Taide, who struggled for fluency and retired out on 55 off 42 balls. Livingstone’s pursuit of boundaries in the end kept Kings’ slim hopes alive, whether they needed 79 off 24 or 38 off 12. In the last over too, when they needed 23 from the last three balls, they got a lifeline when Ishant Sharma sent down a no-ball which Livingstone sent for six, making it 16 required from three with a free hit coming. But Livingstone failed to connect with the subsequent full toss and holed out to long-off on the last ball.

Warner, Shaw flick the switch on

In the first IPL game in Dharamsala in ten years, David Warner and Prithvi Shaw saw out the first 16 balls for no boundaries before racing away. Warner broke the shackles with consecutive fours off Sam Curran before pulling Kagiso Rabada for two sixes. Shaw too got going when he saw Arshdeep Singh’s short balls didn’t have much pace. He pulled and glanced him for 4, 4 and 6 in a 16-run over. When Warner also put away Nathan Ellis’ slower balls for fours, Capitals ended the powerplay on 61 and soon brought up their highest opening stand of this IPL.Prithvi Shaw and David Warner got going gradually in the powerplay•BCCI

Rossouw’s fifty takes it up a notch

Rahul Chahar wasn’t having a good day. Soon after he was put away for three fours in his first two overs by Shaw, he dropped a tough chance to give Warner a life on 39. Warner continued to attack because Capitals had all ten wickets in hand at the halfway mark. But when he skied one more, Shikhar Dhawan completed a spectacular catch at mid-off to remove him for 46 off 31.Capitals kept the left-right combination by sending out Rossouw at No. 3, and he attacked literally from ball one. That he pulled his first ball for four and drove his third for four more showed how good the pitch was for batting. The range he showed in the 13th over off Rabada epitomised his innings; a length ball hit straight for six, another length ball placed just wide of short third for four, and yet another length ball dispatched over square leg with a lovely pick-up shot for six in a 17-run over. Not long after Rossouw also punished Chahar and Curran for sixes, Shaw holed out for 54 in the 15th over.

Kings trust Brar for death overs

Rossouw had raced away to 45 off 21, and Capitals to 148, with five overs to go when Dhawan bravely brought on Harpreet Brar, who gave away just 14 runs in the 16th and 18th overs combined, before Phil Salt and Rossouw made up for it in the last two. Salt smoked Ellis for two sixes over long-on while also edging one delivery for four.For the final over, Dhawan once again trusted Brar instead of the designated death bowler Arshdeep, who had been expensive in his first two. Rossouw mercilessly muscled Brar, who also gifted two wides, for two sixes and a four on the leg side. A misfield on the last ball from Rabada at fine leg gave Capitals their first 200-plus total of the season.Liam Livingstone fought a lone battle•Associated Press

Kings also start slow

The Capitals quicks hardly gave any freebies early on. Khaleel Ahmed started with a maiden to Prabhsimran Singh, Ishant had Dhawan caught at slip for a duck, and Khaleel nearly bowled another maiden to keep Kings on 10 for 1 after three. Prabhsimran then hit the pedal with three consecutive fours before Taide also collected boundaries to get out of the hole of 1 off eight balls. Prabhsimran and Taide also enjoyed a fair share of luck. Their leading edges fell safe, and Capitals missed a few direct hits. Taide’s edges even fetched him some boundaries. Kings finished the powerplay on 47 for 1, with the asking rate almost 12 an over.

Livingstone stands tall but alone

As soon as Prabhsimran holed out to long-on off Axar Patel, it was all a Livingstone show. It started with Livingstone getting a life on 3 off Kuldeep Yadav when Anrich Nortje put him down at deep midwicket, and Taide too got dropped off Kuldeep in his next over. Taide, however, could not score freely as he struggled to find the gaps or go over the fielders.Livingstone, meanwhile, made use of his big bat swings for plenty of hits in the ‘V’ down the ground when the bowlers missed their lengths even marginally. He hit a boundary nearly every over and was only beaten by Kuldeep a couple of times. In the 15th over, he dispatched two full tosses from Mukesh Kumar for fours but Taide was labouring at the other end and he retired out when Kings needed a stiff 86 from 30 with their hitters Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan and Curran yet to come.Despite the firepower in the dugout, the heavy lifting was left for Livingstone. Jitesh holed out to long leg for a duck in the 16th and Shahrukh found long-on in the 17th. Meanwhile, Livingstone blasted two sixes and a four off Khaleel, and three sixes came off Mukesh in the 18th to make it 38 required from 12. Nortje then rattled Curran’s leg stump with a yorker and when 33 were left from the last six balls, Ishant started with a dot to all but seal it. His no-ball was thwarted for six, but he finished the game with three dots and send Kings’ hopes crashing.

Worcestershire trail by 392 runs as Ben Raine adds 71 for hosts before showers force early close

ECB Reporters Network14-Apr-2023Worcestershire 96 for 2 (Pollock 41, Libby 19*, Potts 2-41) trail Durham 425 for 9 dec (Bedingham 118, Raine 71, Lees 70, Gibbon 4-92) by 329 runsTwo wickets from Matthew Potts allowed Durham to make inroads into the Worcestershire batting line-up before rain ended day two prematurely in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division Two clash at Seat Unique Riverside.The home side posted 425 for 9 declared in their first innings after Ben Raine scored an impressive 71 to build on David Bedingham’s century and Alex Lees’ knock of 70 from day one, securing four batting bonus points to the total.Ed Pollock got the Worcestershire reply off to a blistering start, scoring 41 from just 26 balls before he was bowled by Potts. The England seamer produced a timely peach to remove Azhar Ali just before the close, signalling that he is well prepared to fill the void of Chris Rushworth’s departure. The visitors will resume day three 329 runs behind with eight first-innings wickets in hand.Resuming on 363 for 7, Durham were in need of further runs to shore up their exploits from day one. Raine continued his rich vein of form against Worcestershire following on from his century in the contest between the two sides at the Riverside last season. He sent a cut through backward point to the boundary to register his 14th fifty in first-class cricket.Raine and Paul Coughlin tormented Worcestershire with a record-breaking stand of 213 last season, and proved to be a thorn in their side again by reaching their century stand, securing the fourth batting bonus point for Durham in the process. There was no repeat of their mammoth effort as Coughlin fell for 42 and Raine was caught on the fence before Scott Borthwick declared.Pollock displayed no appetite to see out play until lunch as he unleashed an assault against the new ball. The left-hander bludgeoned nine boundaries to bring up the visitors’ fifty in the sixth over. The ferocity of Pollock’s innings fired up Potts and the England seamer took delight in dismantling his stumps for an entertaining 26-ball knock of 41.Azhar and Jake Libby were more sedate in their approach as the sunshine was gradually replaced by cloud cover. The elements allowed Potts, Raine and Coughlin to control the run rate while beating the bat on several occasions. It appeared as though Durham’s search for a breakthrough would end in frustration as the rain closed in.Azhar was put down by Ollie Robinson for 29 down the leg-side in a rare error from the gloveman. However, his reprieve lasted only two balls before Potts pinned the former Pakistan international lbw just before rain ended the day’s proceedings early.

Celtic got a look at what life could look like after Callum McGregor’s playing days are over when he missed the Old Firm clash with Rangers in the Scottish Premiership last weekend.

The former Scotland international missed the match through injury and Arne Engels was deployed in a deeper role than usual, with Reo Hatate and Luke McCowan either side of him.

Unfortunately, it was a disappointing afternoon for the Hoops as they lost 3-2 to their city rivals, despite coming from 2-0 down to make it 2-2 in the second half.

Why Callum McGregor is important to Celtic

McGregor’s absence was felt for multiple reasons because the central midfielder is a big cog in Brendan Rodgers’ system, whilst he is also the current club captain and leader in the dressing room.

The left-footed star operates at the base of the midfield and uses his composure and ability on the ball to dictate the tempo of matches, completing an eye-catching 94% of his attempted passes in the Premiership this season.

McGregor, who has scored eight goals in the league this term, tops the club’s collection of midfielders for passes completed per game (78.3) and pass accuracy (94%), which speaks to how important he is to the midfield set-up with his metronomic presence for Celtic.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

The Scottish star does turn 32 this summer, though, and Rodgers may have to start thinking about whom the next captain will be for the Hoops, and Cameron Carter-Vickers is one potential candidate – as the Hoops have hit the jackpot with the American titan.

Celtic struck gold on their next captain

Ange Postecoglou initially signed the USA international on loan from Tottenham Hotspur for the 2021/22 campaign before the club swooped to sign him permanently for £6m at the end of that season, having been impressed by his performances.

This is his third season with the Hoops as a permanent player, and he is on course to help the club to a third Premiership title in that time, having also won the division in his season on loan at Parkhead.

The 27-year-old star, who was described as “aggressive” by Rodgers, has delivered consistently brilliant performances in that time, earning a place in the PFA Team of the Year in each campaign.

June 2022

£5.8m

November 2022

£7.9m

March 2023

£9.2m

June 2023

£10.8m

May 2024 – present

£11.7m

As you can see in the table above, his defensive brilliance for Celtic has caused his market value to soar to a whopping £11.7m – millions more than what the club reportedly paid to sign him permanently from Spurs.

He has also developed into a leader for the Hoops. The central defender has captained the club on three occasions in the Premiership this season when McGregor has been absent, as well as in four league games last term, which shows that Rodgers believes he has the leadership qualities to be the next captain at Parkhead.

This means that Carter-Vickers could succeed the Scottish midfielder, who is four years older than him, as the new skipper in the future if he remains in Glasgow.

Overall, Postecoglou struck gold with Carter-Vickers because the central defender is worth millions more than what Celtic bought him for, and has the potential to be a future captain for the club, due to his performances on the pitch and his leadership on and off it.

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The Fire’s goalkeeper has expressed high praise for teammate Gutierrez, suggesting his omission from the Gold Cup roster could benefit him

Brady believes Gutierrez possesses an "incredibly high ceiling" as playerFire goalkeeper suggests Gold Cup roster omissions will motivate both playersComments come as Fire builds momentum with improved team chemistryGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

While the USMNT have released the roster for the 2025 Gold Cup, some big names didn’t make the cut, including Chicago Fire’s star goalkeeper Chris Brady. Not only that, another Fire star in Brian Gutierrez also didn’t make the final list, and it has many Fire fans up in the air. But Brady believes that the omission will only serve to add fuel to the fire for a player he believes has an incredibly high ceiling.

“Incredibly high ceiling, that’s my boy,” Brady told “The magic I’ve seen from him, the development I’ve seen from him over the last few years has been incredible, I can’t even put it in words. But he’s a guy who definitely changes the pace of games, brings it every day in training and I’m happy to see things working out for him, right now.

He added, “I noted the omission of him on the roster, but I think this will just add more fuel to the fire from him, and like you see on the weekends, he’s doing everything he can to help the team out and help himself. So yeah, he’s definitely been making a case for himself.”

Gutierrez is the midst of a breakout season for Chicago, with five goals and one assist in 10 appearances. Brady also touched on his own omission from the squad and added that like Gutierrez, that it also adds fuel to the fire for him that he was left out as well.

“A lot,” Brady said when asked how much fuel to the fire it adds. “But I would love to represent my country at the highest level, but I think with this omission and with myself off the roster, I think it just, as you said, adds more fuel to the fire and more focus to really what we’re trying to accomplish here at Chicago, that being the playoff and a deep run.”

Brady has two clean sheets for a Fire side which sits 11th in the Eastern Conference.

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The 21-year-old goalkeeper also talked about the Chicago Fire’s lethal front-four of Jonathan Bamba, Hugo Cuypers, Philip Zinckernagel, and Guti (Gutiérrez).

“The front-four, that’s the first thing that comes to mind,” Brady said when asked what Chicago Fire fans should and can be excited about. “Jonathan Bamba, Hugo Cyupers, Philip Zinckernagel and Guti. They’re a very dangerous front-four and they allow us to execute our gameplan onto other teams, and that’s something I think every team we play against definitely makes a note of and definitely prepares for.”

Brady further touched on Greg Berhalter’s tactics and how the team is finally coming together the way the former USMNT head coach wants them to play.

“Yeah, for sure,” Brady said when asked if he thinks things are starting to come together. “Especially with the way we’ve been performing, but also the chemistry between all the guys on the field, and with regards to our depth, I think the chemistry has grown there as well. So everybody who is on the field, starting the game or coming onto the field during the game, understands what we want to do with the ball, how we want to play, and how we want to impose our gameplan on other teams.

“So it’s definitely coming together piece by piece, I mean it’s a long season, but yeah, definitely coming together.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Both Brady and Gutierrez represent key pieces in Chicago Fire's rebuilding process, sparked by the arrival of former U.S. boss Gregg Berhalter. The club is showing signs of improvement after several challenging seasons, sitting just two points away from the final playoff spot in its conference. Brady and Gutierrez's individual development trajectories mirror the team's growth.

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The Fire face Orlando City next on the road on May 31 and then D.C.United away from home on June 7.