Celtic may be in the market to add another centre-forward to their squad before the summer transfer window officially slams shut at the start of next month.

It is fair to say that Adam Idah has not had the best start to the Scottish Premiership season as the main number nine for Brendan Rodgers, particularly given his performance against St Mirren.

The Ireland international, as shown in the graphic above, missed three ‘big chances’ and lost the majority of his duels in the 1-0 win on the opening day.

Idah then failed to deliver a goal or an assist in the 2-0 win over Aberdeen in the second match of the league season, despite starting up front once again.

The Ireland international is still looking to prove that he has what it takes to be starting number nine for Celtic this season, after being in and out of the team at points last term.

With his current struggles in mind, the Scottish giants may view their failed pursuit of Danish forward Mathias Kvistgaarden as a bit of a blunder in hindsight.

Celtic's Mathias Kvistgaarden blunder

Back in the summer of 2023, Celtic were reportedly interested in the then-21-year-old number nine from Brondby to bolster Rodgers’ options at the top end of the pitch in his first window back at the club.

They did not heavily pursue a move for him in that window, though, but were reportedly in talks with the Danish outfit in January 2024 to discuss a deal for him.

Celtic were tentatively linked with Kvistgaarden again in the summer of that year, before they reportedly made contact with Brondby once again to talk about a move for the versatile forward in January of the current year.

Despite all of those links and supposed talks, it was eventually Norwich City that landed the striker this summer for a fee of £6.9m, after they activated a little-known release clause, despite a fee of £12m having been mooted.

The post from talent scout Jacek Kulig, from before the end of last season, shows that Kvistgaarden steadily improved throughout his time with Brondby, developing into a sublime goalscorer.

24/25 Superliga	Mathias Kvistgaarden
Appearances	29
Goals	17
Minutes per goal	119
Conversion rate	22%
Big chances created	5
Assists	5
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Denmark international delivered 23 goals and assists in 29 league appearances for his former club in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he can make a consistent impact in the final third.

Whilst it remains to be seen how well he will do for Norwich, Idah’s former club, in the Championship, he does seem to be the kind of ruthless and prolific striker that the Hoops are currently lacking.

This is why missing out on a deal for him after three or four transfer windows of reportedly serious interest in him could be viewed as a blunder by the club.

Celtic, though, could avenge their howler with Kvistgaarden by winning the race to sign another reported transfer target from Brondby, Clement Bischoff.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Hoops have been touted with an interest in the £6m-rated winger this summer, and they should not allow him to slip through their fingers like they did with the now-Norwich star.

Why Celtic should sign Clement Bischoff

Bischoff is an incredibly exciting young talent whom the Premiership champions should be looking to bring to Parkhead before the end of the window, if the initial report on their interest was accurate.

As explained, Celtic were interested in Kvistgaarden for multiple years and transfer windows and were unable to get a deal over the line before he exploded in the 2024/25 campaign and then went elsewhere, to the Canaries.

Bischoff has not quite had the explosive season that his former teammate had last year, yet, which is why this could be the perfect time for the Hoops to snap him up.

If they wait, as they did with Kvistgaarden after their interest in 2023 and 2024, then the Danish winger could have his breakout year this season and then become unattainable due to interest from Europe’s top leagues, or high-spending teams in the Championship like Norwich.

U23 scout Antonio Mango described him as an “explosive” and “flamboyant” star with pace and technical ability, which suggests that he has the potential to be a fan favourite at Parkhead as a forward who can get supporters off their seats with his direct play.

His form at the start of the current campaign suggests that he is starting to turn his exciting potential into consistently impressive displays, which makes him an even more attractive target for Celtic.

Clement Bischoff (Brondby)	24/25	25/26
Appearances	39	8
Key passes	51	24
Big chances created	10	5
Key passes per 90	2.0	3.8
Assists	5	2
Goals	2	1
Successful dribbles per 90	1.9	2.0
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Bischoff is already showing signs of huge progression early on in the current campaign, with already half as many ‘big chances’ created as he managed in the whole of last season.

These statistics, aided by his move from left wing-back to left wing, show that he is on course to deliver far more at the top end of the pitch, in terms of goals, key passes, ‘big chances’ created, and dribbles.

This is why it is so important that the Hoops make a serious move for him in the current transfer window, because if he continues to improve at his current rate, then he may be beyond the club’s reach this time next year.

Therefore, Celtic can avenge their blunder with Brondby’s last superstar, Kvistgaarden, by paying the £6m fee that it may take to snap Bischoff up before September’s deadline to bolster Rodgers’ squad.

Celtic could land big Idah upgrade in swoop for "magnificent" £7m striker

Celtic may find a big upgrade on Adam Idah by swooping to sign this £7m-rated forward.

By
Dan Emery

Aug 14, 2025

India will face Australia in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday after they beat New Zealand by 44 runs in the final group-stage fixture at the same venue on Sunday. New Zealand, meanwhile, will travel to Lahore to meet South Africa in the second semi-final on Wednesday.Due to tangled scheduling, both Australia and South Africa had already flown to Dubai, with an ICC official saying the decision had been taken to allow the side that plays the semi-final in Dubai (Australia in this case) on March 4 the maximum time to prepare for that contest. However, it means South Africa find themselves in the sub-optimal position of having flown from Pakistan to Dubai recently, only to return to Pakistan soon after.The tangled scheduling was a result of India not playing any of their games in Pakistan for the tournament, and they were supposed to play the semi-finals in Dubai, regardless of their standings in Group A. Such a scenario became all but inevitable after India refused to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, despite the country officially being the sole host of the tournament. The PCB had spent several months trying to get India to visit Pakistan, at one stage proposing hosting all their games in Lahore. However, the BCCI said the Indian government did not grant the team permission to play cricket in Lahore.Related

• Glenn Phillips' divine intervention puts tournament rivals on notice

• SA and Australia to travel to Dubai due to tangled Champions Trophy scheduling

• Varun takes five as India top group and set up Australia showdown

New Zealand are set to take an early-morning flight to Lahore from Dubai on Monday while South Africa will fly back to Pakistan later in the day after having spent around 36 hours in Dubai.”Yeah…we will leave [Dubai] at 12.30 or 1 o’clock,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said at the post-match presentation. “We get there and we can rest up and train and be ready to go.”While Rohit Sharma was pleased with India’s showing – they are the only team with three wins in as many games in the Champions Trophy – he turned his focus to the semi-final against Australia.”I think it [momentum] is very, very critical when you’re playing such a short tournament,” Rohit said after the win against New Zealand. “You try and possibly win every game that is in front of you and try and do everything right and while doing that, there are bound to be mistakes but as long as you correct them quickly, that is what matters. I thought the mistakes that we’ve been making from game one now, we tend to correct those mistakes and that is what is required.”It [semi-final] is going to be a good game and obviously we know Australia has a rich history of playing ICC tournaments well. We do understand that; it’s about what we want to do against the opposition and try and do that right. We’re all looking forward to that contest and hopefully we can stitch one [more win] towards us.”

Newcastle United have splashed the cash under PIF in recent years, welcoming a number of European stars to St James’ Park. The spending spree has also worked, with the Magpies qualifying for the Champions League back in 2023 and again in 2025, while also winning the EFL Cup.

Football FanCast takes a look at the most expensive transfers of all time for Newcastle.

Newcastle United’s most expensive signings of all time

Rank

Player

Fee

Signed from

Year

1

Nick Woltemade

£69m

Stuttgart

2025

2

Alexander Isak

£60m

Real Sociedad

2022

=3

Sandro Tonali

£55m

AC Milan

2023

=3

Anthony Elanga

£55m

Nottingham Forest

2025

=3

Yoane Wissa

£55m

Brentford

2025

6

Anthony Gordon

£45m

Everton

2023

7

Jacob Ramsey

£43m

Aston Villa

2025

=8

Joelinton

£40m

Hoffenheim

2019

=8

Bruno Guimaraes

£40m

Lyon

2022

10

Harvey Barnes

£38m

Leicester City

2023

=11

Sven Botman

£32m

Lille

2022

=11

Tino Livramento

£32m

Southampton

2023

13

Malick Thiaw

£30m

AC Milan

2025

14

Lewis Hall

£28m

Chelsea

2024

=15

Chris Wood

£25m

Burnley

2022

=15

Joe Willock

£25m

Arsenal

2022

17

Miguel Almiron

£21m

Atlanta United

2019

=18

Callum Wilson

£20m

Bournemouth

2020

=18

Odysseas Vlachodimos

£20m

Nottingham Forest

2024

20

Michael Owen

£17m

Real Madrid

2005

Detailed look at Newcastle's 10 most expensive signings… 10 Harvey Barnes £38m from Leicester City

Winger Harvey Barnes was a long-term target for the Magpies, who eventually signed him from Leicester City for £38m after the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League in 2023.

Barnes had a brilliant individual campaign but couldn’t keep the club in the top-flight, instead signing a five-year St James’ Park deal. The Englishman arrived at the club with plenty of Premier League experience during his time with Leicester and has gone on to star in black and white.

9 Bruno Guimaraes £40m from Lyon

What a signing. Sky Sports has Bruno Guimaraes’ fee at £40m in January 2022, and he was so good in his initial six month-spell that Newcastle could have sold him for double that last summer, with reports suggesting champions Manchester City could have been plotting a player-plus-cash deal to bring the midfielder to the Etihad Stadium.

Instead, they held onto the Brazilian, and that was certainly the right move. Bruno looks like one of the best midfielders in the Premier League right now and Newcastle will do well to find a better signing anytime soon.

8 Joelinton £40m from Hoffenheim

Joelinton arrived for a club-record fee from Hoffenheim as the answer to Newcastle’s goalscoring woes in the summer of 2019. The £40m they paid, per The Guardian, always looked strange as the Brazilian had only scored seven times the previous season, while the most he’d ever managed was eight.

Thus, many joked about Joelinton during his early days on Tyneside, and it appeared Newcastle had made the wrong transfer as he finished his first campaign with two goals. However, it turned out they were just using him in the wrong position. After switching to a midfield role, the player looked transformed and now that £40m fee looks like a very good deal.

7 Jacob Ramsey £43m from Aston Villa

Jacob Ramsey

6 Anthony Gordon £45m from Everton

Sky Sports say Newcastle paid £45m for Anthony Gordon, which sounded like a lot at the time. However, the winger has now justified that fee and is one of the first names on the teamsheet.

In fact, Gordon’s displays during his first full season with the Magpies resulted in him being linked with a move away from the club. Instead of leaving, though, the Englishman signed a fresh long-term Newcastle deal towards the end of 2024.

5 Yoane Wissa £55m from Brentford

On what was a dramatic deadline day in the summer of 2025, Yoane Wissa signed for Newcastle with 30 seconds to spare before the window slammed shut.

A long-term Newcastle target, Wissa pushed for a move to the Magpies from Brentford, costing £55m and taking the number 9 shirt at St James’ Park.

4 Anthony Elanga £55m from Nottingham Forest

Newcastle’s early summer signing in 2025 was Anthony Elanga, who cost £55m after an impressive few years at Nottingham Forest.

The pacey right-winger contributed to four goals in five games against the Magpies for Nottingham Forest, which may have caught PIF’s eye.

3 Sandro Tonali £55m from AC Milan

Sandro Tonali arrived in a high-profile transfer from AC Milan in 2023, however, months after Newcastle splashed the cash, the Italy international was suspended for ten months following illegal betting charges.

The midfielder returned in 2024, and since then, Magpies supporters have seen why the club were willing to spend £55m on his signature, with Tonali a regular in the starting lineup.

2 Alexander Isak £60m from Real Soceidad

The arrival of Alexander Isak was a coup for Newcastle and a true statement that they wanted to sit at the top table. The Swedish striker was one of the top young strikers on the planet and few questioned the £60m fee in 2022, as reported by the BBC.

However, the summer of 2025 changed everything between Isak and Newcastle, with the forward going on strike, looking to sign for Liverpool. He got his wish, with the Magpies recieveing a British record £125m fee for Isak from Liverpool.

1 Nick Woltemade £69m from Stuttgart

Prior to Isak’s departure, Newcastle broke their transfer record by signing young German forward Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart.

After starring at the U21 European Championships, Woltemade was linked with the likes of Bayern Munich but instead moved to St James’ Park in a deal worth £69m.

Former NZ quick suggests caution since another injury in the same spot where Bumrah has already had back surgery “could be a career-ender”

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Mar-20251:54

Bond: Transition from IPL to Tests a danger period for Bumrah

Another back injury for Jasprit Bumrah in the same spot where he had surgery “could be a career-ender” according to former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, whose career ended prematurely due to chronic back problems.Bumrah has not played since he walked off for scans on the second afternoon of the New Year’s Test in Sydney this year. What was reported as back spasms then turned to be a stress-related injury, which forced him to miss the Champions Trophy. Bumrah is currently at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru doing rehab and there is no clarity yet on when he will be fully fit or whether he will start for Mumbai Indians (MI) at IPL 2025.This is the first time Bumrah has suffered a back injury since he had surgery in March 2023. Bond, who has worked with Bumrah in the past – he was bowling coach with MI for several years – and is currently in India as bowling coach at Rajasthan Royals, said that Bumrah’s workloads need to be managed conservatively to avoid another relapse.Related

Bumrah to miss Oval Test against England; Akash Deep likely to replace him

Shane Bond: 'If you ask any injured player if they're okay to play, they'll say yes'

“When he went off for scans, it was at Sydney, there was some messaging coming up around that he had sprains and stuff like that,” Bond told ESPNcricinfo in a wide-ranging chat* during the Champions Trophy, when he was one of the experts on the analysis show Match Day. “I worried that it wasn’t going to be a sprain, it might be a bony injury around that area [the back]. I thought he may struggle to make the Champions Trophy if it was.”Bond was probably the first fast bowler, at least this century, to undergo back surgery, which he had at 29, the same age at which Bumrah had his surgery. Despite persistent injuries Bond continued to play until he was 34 before deciding to retire, first from Tests and then from all formats in less than six months. In a chat with ESPNcricinfo in 2010, Bond said, “I broke if I played few games on the bounce” in first-class cricket and he was sick and tired of doing rehab.The “danger” zone where fast bowlers suffer injuries, according to Bond, is when they quickly transition from T20 to Test cricket. And that, Bond highlighted, would be his primary concern for Bumrah too, considering India will travel to England to play five-Test series in June barely a month after the IPL ends on May 25.”Look, I think Booms will be fine, but it’s just that [workload] management [matters],” Bond said. “Looking at the tours and the schedule going forward, where are the opportunities to give him a break, but really where are the danger periods? And often it is that the [transition from] IPL to the Test championship will be a risk.Jasprit Bumrah poses with his ICC Awards for 2024•ICC/Getty Images”Anywhere you transition from particularly T20 to a Test match, it’s challenging. If you are playing a one-day series, it’s generally not too bad. You will play three games a week, you will have a practice, you are sort of in around that 40 overs [range], that’s pretty close to a Test match week anyway. But in T20, particularly in the IPL, when you might be playing three games in a week, there’s two days of travel, you might get one training [session], you are sort of bowling 20 overs maybe if you’re lucky. That’s sort of half of a Test match load or even under a half of, which then is a big jump and you are not bowling back-to-back days. That’s a big jump when you transition out of that.”India’s schedule for the England tour is a tight one with five Tests between June 28 and August 3. Bond said that India cannot give Bumrah the kind of workload he carried during the 2024-25 Australia tour, which also comprised five Tests. Overall, Bumrah bowled 151.2 overs in nine innings including 52 in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, his most in a Test match.Going forward, Bond said, he would not want Bumrah to play more than two consecutive Tests at one go.”He’s too valuable for the next World Cup and stuff. So you’d be looking at five Tests in England, I wouldn’t want to be playing him in any more than two in a row. Coming out of the back end of the IPL into a Test match is going to be a huge risk. And so how do they manage that is going to be key.

“Looking at five Tests in England, I wouldn’t want to be playing him in any more than two in a row. Coming out of the back end of the IPL into a Test match is going to be a huge risk.”Shane Bond

“They may say, look, it’s four Test matches in total. Or three. If we can get him through the English summer and he’s fit, we can probably then go with some confidence that we can carry him across the rest of the formats. So that’s hard because he is your best bowler, but if he has another injury in the same spot, that could be a career-ender, potentially, because I’m not sure you can have surgery on that spot again.”With the Indian domestic season over, the IPL is the only competitive series Bumrah can feature in before the England tour. While Bond felt the IPL “maybe touch and go” for Bumrah, he said “there will be an element of risk depending on the intensity that he’s bowling at by the time he gets back”.Bond said that it was also Bumrah’s responsibility to work in tandem with the decision-makers in Indian cricket to chart out a safe path that would help him extend his career. “So it’s going to take some good management and just some open conversations with the player and say, look, we are doing this with your best interest in your career. Any player who’s gone through that, and having myself [gone through it], you are desperate to play, but you also understand there are some risks at certain times and you have to make some compromises.”* The full interview will be published on ESPNcricinfo later this month.

Glasgow Rangers have reportedly submitted an offer worth over £1m in an attempt to sign their latest EFL star for Russell Martin.

Latest Rangers transfer news

The Gers have endured a frustrating start under Martin. After such a promising summer, which has been full of incomings, there was plenty of hopes that a new manager, new owners and a new season would result in the ultimate change. So far, however, that has been far from the case.

"Talented" Rangers player agrees Ibrox departure days after Plzen defeat

He struggled in the defeat.

ByTom Cunningham Aug 14, 2025

Whilst Rangers did find a way past Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday night, it wasn’t without suffering defeat and falling back on their first-leg smashing to sneak in to the next round of Champions League qualifiers.

Outside of European football, things haven’t been much better, either. For the first time since 1989, the Scottish giants have failed to win either of their opening two league games – drawing against Motherwell and Dundee – and Martin wasted no time before airing his particular discontent about their opening day struggles.

Since his scathing review, it remains to be seen whether the former Southampton boss can tame the egos within the Rangers squad as more reinforcements potentially arrive this month.

Rangers submit opening offer to sign Charles

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Rangers have submitted an opening offer to sign Pierce Charles worth over £1m but are yet to receive a response from Sheffield Wednesday. The Owls could certainly do with such a sale amid their financial troubles, but Dejphon Chansiri’s failure to respond currently means that any deal is off the table.

Whether the Gers attempt to get a response for a second time remains to be seen. Charles’ sale would reportedly go a long way towards paying staff wages at Sheffield Wednesday, which makes it all the more frustrating for all involved at the club that neither Rangers nor West Ham United have had a reply regarding their offers.

What’s more, it’s easy to see why clubs like Rangers and West Ham are interested in Charles. At just 20 years old, Charles forced his way into Sheffield Wednesday’s plans last season and earned the praise of former boss Danny Rohl, who said: “We have two young, good goalkeepers.

“We have James Beadle who deserves a lot of credit since he arrived last year in the relegation fight, he helped us to get a lot of points. On the other side we have our own goalkeeper with Pierce, who has worked very hard. He is now the number one for his national team and has improved a lot – he deserved it as well.”

Newcastle United anticipate a busy deadline day ahead, but fans on Tyneside must be excited to see the back of these frantic, helter-skelter months of market activity.

While Eddie Howe will largely be pleased with the signings made, the Magpies may be about to lose Alexander Isak to Liverpool, with the club-record £69m signing of Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart certainly suggesting as much.

However, since Callum Wilson has also left St. James’ Park this summer, it’s crucial that United land themselves a second striker before the looming deadline.

Newcastle eyeing Deadline Day striker deal

Newcastle have been looking to sign Brentford’s Yoane Wissa over the summer, and while the DR Congo striker has been desperate to join the Tynesiders, the chances of him jumping ship look increasingly slim, with two bids having been rejected already.

Bees boss Keith Andrews has stressed that he expects Wissa to stay put, and that might mean that Newcastle are forced to search elsewhere.

But, should they succeed in their bid for Wolverhampton Wanderers star Jørgen Strand Larsen, any frustration over failing to sign Wissa would be wiped away, with the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope revealing that the Toon are still “trying” to sign the Norwegian.

Strand Larsen, 25, is valued at £65m, and Newcastle wouldn’t be willing to pay such a figure, but efforts are ongoing.

What Strand Larsen would bring to Newcastle

Strand Larsen spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Wolves, and made his stay permanent this summer, having scored 14 goals in the Premier League last term.

Described as a “nuisance” in the box by Toon legend Alan Shearer, the 6 foot 4 striker is an excellent modern target man, bearing the physicality, awareness and link-up ability to thrive for a team like Newcastle, challenging around the top.

While it would be fair to suggest that Woltemade has the higher ceiling, he’s an unfinished product, and Strand Larsen might actually prove the more polished forward at this stage for Newcastle, having proven himself already in England’s top flight.

Matches (starts)

35 (30)

28 (17)

Goals

14

12

Assists

4

2

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (1.0)

1.8 (0.9)

Accurate passes

8.4 (65%)

12.3 (72%)

Big chances created

6

8

Key passes*

0.6

1.3

Dribbles*

0.2

1.1

Ball recoveries*

1.2

1.9

Tackles*

0.3

0.4

Duels won*

3.0

4.4

Strand Larsen actually outscored Woltemade in regard to respective league tallies last year, and given that he was battling to stave off relegation with the Old Gold, there’s substance to the suggestion that he would star as Newcastle’s main man at number nine.

Couple that with the fact that he also had fewer shots per game and there is a potent threat here just waiting to be tested at a higher level.

Less dynamic and technically gifted when on the ball, Strand Larsen would certainly be a fantastic rival at the front of the ship for Woltemade as the latter pushes to make headway in the Premier League.

He appears to be better in front of goal at this stage and perhaps might find himself making a priceless impact for Howe’s outfit across the campaign, consistently shooting true in the wake of Isak’s potential sale to Liverpool.

Better deal than Woltemade: Newcastle join late race to sign £45m "machine"

Newcastle are hoping to sign a centre-midfielder before the transfer window slams shut.

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 31, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O técnico Fernando Diniz terá mais uma dor de cabeça para escalar o Fluminense no confronto diante do Atlético-MG. O meio-campista Felipe Melo sentiu uma lesão no joelho e não viajará com a delegação tricolor para Volta Redonda, onde será realizada a partida válida pela 11ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

RelacionadasFluminenseReforço do Fluminense, Diogo Barbosa luta para ganhar novo fôlego e se consolidar nas LaranjeirasFluminense20/06/2023FluminenseDiante de repercussão, Fluminense paralisa negociações com ClaysonFluminense20/06/2023FluminenseEntenda o que é Ostarina, substância que causou a suspensão provisória de Manoel, do Fluminense, pela ConmebolFluminense19/06/2023

O jogador de 40 anos sofreu dores no local no decorrer da atividade desta terça-feira (20), no CT Carlos Castilho. O Tricolor das Laranjeiras aguarda o resultado dos exames para saber a gravidade do problema.

Felipe Melo se torna mais uma da sucessão de baixas da equipe das Laranjeiras. Manoel está suspenso pela Conmebol após ser flagrado pelo antidoping e o meio-campista Alexsander se recupera de uma lesão no joelho. O meia-atacante Jhon Arias está com a seleção colombiana e tende a desfalcar o Tricolor das Laranjeiras.

Para seu lugar, Diniz deve lançar a dupla de zaga com Nino e David Braz. Thiago Santos é outra opção para o setor.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele has beaten off competition from Lamine Yamal to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or. The France international was crowned the best male player in the world at a ceremony in Paris on Monday night after an incredible season where he won the quadruple with Luis Enrique’s side and delivered the club a first ever Champions League title.

• PSG star Dembele wins 2025 Ballon d'Or

  Dembele was the hot favourite to claim the prize after an extraordinary campaign with PSG. The 28-year-old scored 35 goals in all competitions and bagged 14 assists for the French club as they swept all before them in 2024-25 and won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the French Super Cup and the Champions League.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  The full Ballon d'Or rankings

  Dembele and Yamal were unsurprisingly the top two in the final Ballon d'Or rankings. The duo finished ahead of PSG star Vitinha, Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah and Barcelona attacker Raphinha. The top 10 was completed by Achraf Hakimi, Kylian Mbappe, Cole Palmer, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Nuno Mendes.

• Dembele in tears after Ballon d'Or victory

  An emotional Dembele was moved to tears after collecting his award. He said in his acceptance speech: "What I'm experiencing is exceptional. It's been an incredible year with Paris Saint-Germain. I'm a little stressed, it's not easy. It's exceptional that Ronaldinho is giving me this title. I thank PSG who came looking for me in 2023, its president, the whole team and the whole club. It's an incredible family. President Nasser is like a dad to me. The staff has been exceptional. Luis Enrique has also been like a dad to me throughout my career, even though it's not over. Thank you to my teammates. The team won this individual trophy."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  Yamal takes home Kopa Trophy again

  Yamal may not have won the main prize but he did not go home empty-handed. The 18-year-old won the Kopa Trophy – handed to the best Under-21 player – for the second year in a row. ”It’s an honor to be here again. I want to thank Barcelona and the national team. Also, my family. I don’t want to forget my teammates, like Cubarsí and Raphinha, who we can also see here," he said as he picked up his award.

The winner will play New Zealand in the final and also get a chance for some Champions Trophy prep over in Karachi

Firdose Moonda11-Feb-2025

Heinrich Klaasen will make a return for the ODI against Pakistan•Gallo Images/Getty Images

Big Picture: The knockout before the knockoutThe original Champions Trophy started as a knockout tournament so, as we build up to this year’s edition, here’s a bit of a throwback: Wednesday’s match between Pakistan and South Africa in the mini tri-series is a winner-takes-all affair, with New Zealand already through to Saturday’s final. It won’t be quite so do-or-die in the Champions Trophy, but groups of four mean that teams can only really afford one slip up from the outset, which makes this match excellent practice for both these sides.On recent form, Pakistan have the upper hand over South Africa, who they clean swept 3-0 in December on South African soil for the first time. The result must be caveated, with the disclaimer that South Africa were understrength, though Pakistan won’t (and shouldn’t) care about that.Related

'Funny how the world works' – Life comes full circle for Wanderers' own Devon Conway

Phillips 72-ball hundred flips the script as New Zealand beat Pakistan

Breetzke bats his way from scratchy to sublime in ODI debut to remember

What they will be interested in is that South Africa are still hamstrung. They are without half of their Champions Trophy squad with Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada only due to arrive in Pakistan on the weekend.To make full use of any advantage, Pakistan’s batting will have to perform better, after they were dismissed for 252 by New Zealand on Saturday and lost nine wickets for 149 after getting off to a decent start. Their middle order will be under pressure but no more than South Africa’s bowling attack, which wasn’t unable to defend 304 and lacked bite in their tri-series opener. They have been reinforced by the pace of Corbin Bosch and Kwena Maphaka but will need to combine that with discipline to challenge for a place in the final.What’s at stake is more than just the trophy: the opportunity to have one more competitive match before the Champions Trophy starts, and for Pakistan, to have a dress rehearsal for the tournament opener. They play New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi so being able to face them five days earlier at the same venue will be an added bonus. South Africa also stay in Karachi for their first match against Afghanistan but before they think of that, they’ll want to break a losing streak that has lasted five matches.Form guide: SA’s unwanted streakPakistan: LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa: LLLLLFakhar Zaman hit a quick fifty in the opening ODI of the tri-series•Associated Press

In the spotlight: Fakhar Zaman and Tabraiz ShamsiAfter 15 months on the sidelines, Fakhar Zaman made his comeback with 84 off 69 balls and showed both the power and the pace to help Pakistan chase a big score. They didn’t get there, but the early signs from Fakhar are good. He was especially confident in taking on the short ball from Will O’Rourke in Lahore and was aggressive against New Zealand’s spinners. Bear in mind that Fakhar averaged 50.82 and scored four hundreds when he last played in 2023 and it seems like he has picked up where he left off. In Saim Ayub’s injury-enforced absence, Pakistan seemed to have found the perfect replacement. Now, it’s for Fakhar to show consistency.Tabraiz Shamsi has bowled 15 overs in four matches (across formats) and it’s been 15 overs since he last took a wicket. He had a quiet SA20 for Jo’burg Super Kings, but the time is coming for Shamsi to step up, especially as South Africa have gone into the Champions Trophy with just two specialist spinners despite at least two others being in good form. Bjorn Fortuin and George Linde had good SA20s and though they are usually sidelined because they can’t get past Keshav Maharaj, with a lot of white-ball cricket in the subcontinent in the next year, South Africa might be considering their options. Since Imran Tahir’s retirement in 2019, Shamsi has been South Africa’s premier attacking spinner and there’s no better time to show it than now.Haris Rauf walked off the field with a side strain in the opening ODI•Associated Press

Team news: Rauf unlikely to featureHaris Rauf left the field after bowling 6.2 overs against New Zealand with a side strain and while it is deemed a low-grade injury, he will not be risked for this match. Mohammad Hasnain could play in his place. Pakistan may also consider a change in the batting line-up, with Saud Shakeel a possible replacement for Tayyab Tahir.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Kamran Ghulam, 4 Mohammad Rizwan (capt), 5 Salman Agha, 6 Tayyab Tahir/Saud Shakeel, 7 Khusdil Shah, 8 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 9 Naseem Shah, 10 Abrar Ahmed, 11 Mohammad HasnainTony de Zorzi and Corbin Bosch who are both in the Champions Trophy squad as well as 18-year left-arm quick Kwena Maphaka have joined the South African touring party and are available for selection. De Zorzi and Bosch both played in the SA20 final on Saturday but may be pulled into the XI, along with Heinrich Klaasen, as South Africa aim to push for a spot in the final. Don’t be surprised if Lungi Ngidi sits this one out, after bowling seven overs – his most since last October – as he continues to work towards full fitness. Maphaka could be selected in his place.South Africa (possible): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Matthew Breetzke, 3 Tony de Zorzi, 4 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 Wiaan Mulder, 7 Senuran Muthusamy, 8 Corbin Bosch, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Kwena MaphakaPitch and conditions: Expect another high-scoring gameThe series moves to Karachi, which last hosted an ODI in May 2023. Then, New New Zealand successfully defended 299 against Pakistan. In six ODIs here since January 2023, the average first-innings score has been 286 and the team batting first has won five out of those six games. That suggests another fairly high-scoring encounter but it may not be the pitch that’s most in focus. Like Lahore, Karachi has undergone significant upgrades ahead of the Champions Trophy including new dressing rooms and hospitality areas, an increased capacity of 5000, two new digital replay screens and 350 LED lights for improved broadcast coverage.Stats and triviaSouth Africa have lost their last five ODIs, which puts them on their longest losing streak since 2004. They have previously lost ten matches in a row in 2004 and 1994. The last time Pakistan failed to make a tri-series final was the Morocco Cup in 2002, when South Africa and Sri Lanka competed for the trophy. Pakistan have since played in six other tri-series, but only won one: the Kitply Cup between themselves, Bangladesh and India in 2008. Pakistan beat India by 25 runs in the final.Quotes</b"Tomorrow is obviously a big day for the series. We played Pakistan not too long ago, but obviously Pakistan in their conditions are a different beast, so I'm looking forward to that. We just got together today, basically the boys only arrived at 2 o'clock this morning. For the guys that are new to the squad, we've got to do a little bit of homework, we've got a nice day out to face these conditions and see what it is like. Obviously there's a bigger picture in mind as well. The ICC [Champions] trophy is also in play next week, so it's a good exercise for us. If we can knock them out and play in the final, and the home country is not involved, that will at least put a smile on my face."
Heinrich Klaasen explains the importance of what is effectively a semi-final

Chelsea have done some fantastic business in the transfer window this summer.

The likes of Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap all look like they could be future superstars under Enzo Maresca.

However, the Conference League champions’ best signing so far has been Joao Pedro, who looked spectacular in pre-season and was outstanding against West Ham United last week.

The Brazilian forward looks ready to explode at Chelsea this season, and in even more good news, the club are now close to signing another star who will be unreal alongside him.

Chelsea agree deal to sign brilliant teammate for Pedro

Even though the transfer window is set to close on Monday evening, Chelsea appear intent on making a few more signings.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, despite supposedly holding talks with Tottenham Hotspur, the Blues continue to be linked with Xavi Simons.

Meanwhile, while Aston Villa are reluctant to sell, Morgan Rogers has once again been linked with the West Londoners.

Yet, there is another Premier League star who has been touted for a move to Stamford Bridge perhaps more than any other in recent weeks – a player who now looks set to finally make the move and will be unreal alongside Pedro.

At least that is according to a recent report from The Athletic’s David Ornstein, who has delivered a massive update on the club’s pursuit of Alejandro Garnacho.

The respected journalist has revealed that Chelsea and Manchester United have agreed to a deal worth a fixed £40m plus a 10% sell-on fee.

The young Argentine is scheduled to undergo his medical in London later today, and should that go well, will put pen to paper on a contract until 2032.

It is undoubtedly a significant amount of money to spend on someone so young, but Garnacho is undeniably talented and could be exceptional in this Chelsea side, especially alongside Pedro.

Why Garnacho would be unreal with Pedro

One of the primary reasons Garnacho could be so effective alongside Pedro this season is due to their respective output.

For example, the “superstar” in the making, as dubbed by journalist Liam Canning, scored 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 58 appearances last season, totalling 3568 minutes.

That means he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or 169.90 minutes, which is really quite impressive considering he was playing in a historically terrible United side and is still just 21.

For his efforts, when you include his performances at the Club World Cup, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star scored 13 goals and provided seven assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2299 minutes, last season.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.65 games, or every 114.95 minutes.

Appearances

58

33

Minutes

3568′

2299′

Goals

11

13

Assists

10

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

0.60

Minutes per Goal Involvements

169.90′

114.95′

When we examine these numbers, it’s clear that, in addition to being effective in front of goal, both players are more than adept at creating chances for their teammates.

In other words, they could form a devastating and unpredictable partnership in which opposition sides will never be too sure who’s going to play provider or finisher at any given moment.

Moreover, with both players being more than comfortable in a few different positions, they’d almost certainly have more opportunities to play together, gain a better understanding of one another’s game, and interchange more effectively over time.

Finally, as both players are still in their early 20s, they will be able to grow and develop together, which should only strengthen their partnership over the coming seasons.

Ultimately, Garnacho is an exciting signing in his own right, but his potential at Chelsea is even higher with Pedro in the team.

Enzo Maresca calling £60m star with Chelsea ready to triple his salary

The Blues boss is personally contacting him.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 28, 2025