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Arsenal youngster Folarin Balogun is still attracting "interest" from clubs in the Premier League and abroad, reveals Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The interest in the young striker has intensified thanks to his excellent loan spell with Ligue 1 side Stade Reims last season.

Arsenal transfer news – What's the latest on Folarin Balogun

Alongside the player's impressive exploits in France last season, his much-publicised desire to be a starting number nine next year and opposition to playing second fiddle has increased the interest in him.

The most recent club to signal interest in the player is West Ham United, who have reportedly made the New York-born striker a priority signing in the Summer window, per FootballTransfers.

According to the report, the player has been discussed as a potential makeweight in the Declan Rice to Arsenal saga, a deal that could suit all parties involved.

Outside of the Premier League, Juventus are one of the possible destinations for the player.

Italian Journalist Rudy Galetti informed GiveMeSport that the Bianconeri could sign Balogun as a potential replacement for Dusan Vlahovic, who is said to be on Chelsea's list of potential summer transfers.

The price Arsenal are looking to get for their young star is reported to be around £35m, as per football.london.

What has Dharmesh Sheth said about Folarin Balogun and Arsenal?

Sheth highlighted the player's contract situation and informed GiveMeSport of the interest in the player from clubs both in and out of the Premier League.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "I think he's got two years left on his contract. If Arsenal do want to keep them, we've not heard of any noises of a new contract, so that one could move.

"I think his representatives do have interest in the player from the Premier League and from clubs abroad, including RB Leipzig as well, so keep an eye on that one."

How good was Folarin Balogun's season last year?

Whilst the player certainly had his fans and excitement surrounding him before his stint in Ligue 1, that year abroad has generated much of the current interest and hype around the player, and rightly so.

According to WhoScored, the player averaged an impressive rating of 6.90 across his 37 league games last season, scoring 21 goals and assisting a further two.

His underlying numbers are equally impressive and paint the picture of a player who could go on to be a star.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the dynamic forward is in the top 7% for non-penalty expected goals, the top 9% for total shots and the 19% for touches in the opposition's penalty area, all per 90.

With statistics like that, it's no surprise that Mikel Arteta heaped praise on him back in February, saying:

"When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it's just incredible. It's very rare to see that. But he's got something special, that's why we decided to give him a long-term contract."

If the Gunners are set to cash in on their American wonderkid, they might regret it further down the line.

David de Gea is has been left off Manchester United's retained list but the club have stated that "discussions remain open" over a new contract.

When does David De Gea's contract expire?

The Spanish goalkeeper currently earns £375k-per-week but that deal expires at the end of the month on June 30.

With that being the case, negotiations have been going on for some time but it appears he will have to take a notable pay cut to remain at Old Trafford.

Indeed, Man United have already seen an extension offer worth £200k-per-week reportedly turned by De Gea who presumably wasn't happy with the terms.

However, with no agreement reached yet, at this moment in time it seems that he could well be leaving in just a matter of weeks now.

After all, the club released their official retained list this week and the goalkeeper was not included. Despite that, though, he wasn't among those – such as Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe – to be confirmed as a departure either.

Instead, the statement explained: "In terms of the goalkeeping department, discussions remain open with David De Gea over a potential new contract."

Will De Gea leave Man United?

Some of the club's departures have been known for some time. For instance, after 12 years at Old Trafford, Phil Jones penned an emotional goodbye message on Instagram at the start of June.

De Gea's situation, however, has been unclear for months and even after plenty of discussions behind the scenes, no final decision appears to have been made just yet.

The player wouldn’t have helped his hopes for a big new contract with some iffy displays last term – notably conceding a howler away at West Ham. Even so, he's still be a regular under Erik ten Hag, playing 38 league games and keeping 17 clean sheets.

And so, it's not hard to understand why the Red Devils don't want to offer him the same sort of wages he currently earns.

Indeed, if De Gea wants to earn that sort of cash, it looks as though he'll have to leave England this summer. According to 90min, interest from Saudi Arabia's Pro League could allow him to manage that.

Still, Fabrizio Romano told GIVEMESPORT just last month that the idea for Man United and the player is to "continue together" and negotiations are "very, very advanced.

He explained: "They wanted to reduce his salary but, at the same time, to have a different structure with the contract – maybe a longer contract with a different structure of the salary – so this is the discussion, but it's now very, very advanced.

"De Gea wants to stay and Manchester United want to keep De Gea, so the idea is to continue together. I think Erik ten Hag has been very, very clear on that. It's about the final clauses and then it will be completed soon."

With that being the case, even if they've missed this deadline, it does sound as though it could all be sorted just in time before his contract officially expires.

The Australian Sports Commission’s inaugural AusPlay survey, released on Thursday, contradicted Cricket Australia’s own assertion that the game is the No. 1 participation sport in the country

Daniel Brettig08-Dec-2016Australian cricket has been warned it may not be the grassroots participation powerhouse it thinks it is, via the release of the most comprehensive national survey yet of sport down under.The Australian Sports Commission’s inaugural AusPlay survey, released on Thursday, contradicted Cricket Australia’s own assertion that the game is the No. 1 participation sport in the country, and by quite a margin. A more accurate description, according to the ASC’s figures, would be to place it in mid-table.While CA’s own Australian Cricket Census had stated that the game can point to 1.31 million total participants, the ASC survey delivered a far lower tally – 562,669 combined senior and junior club sport participants, placing cricket sixth out of the top 10 sports.It was well behind soccer’s 1,086,986 club participants, and also returned inferior figures to golf, AFL, netball and tennis. Ironically, the survey’s results were announced in a media event at the SCG on Thursday, with soccer’s top brass trumpeting the outcome. CA’s executive and directors were preoccupied with a board meeting at the game’s Jolimont headquarters.CA’s own participation figures are weighted to include the school-age Milo Into Cricket and Twenty20 Blast programs, with high female participation and increased engagement by diverse Australian communities cited as notable positives in recent years.However the CA chief executive James Sutherland has admitted previously that there is a need to ensure more junior participants graduate to club teams and a more formal relationship with the game. Interestingly, CA’s own club participation figure for this year was 454,657 – lower than the ASC’s.”It’s a lot about that experience and about creating a positive learning environment and a fun environment for kids to play the sport,” Sutherland had said in August when CA’s figures were released. “I think that’s where the T20 Blast has allowed kids to bridge between entry level programs and playing what some people might call ‘real cricket’.”We’ve seen success but also sustained participation through into the teenage years. Very pleasing in these results to see growth in that area for the first time in a couple of years.”Most major Australian sports have tended to downplay each other’s participation figures, arguing either that the numbers are too generously weighted towards junior programs or that the figures are gleaned through processes that are not sufficiently independent. The AusPlay survey has been designed to provide a more definitive picture.”The Australian Government’s investment in AusPlay means we will now have a deeper understanding of the sport and physical activity behaviours of our nation,” the ASC chairman John Wylie said. “The AusPlay survey will report every six months and provide up-to-date information about trends in sport and physical activity participation that will guide key decisions in this area.”Responding to the release of the survey, a CA spokesperson said: “The AusPlay survey fills a major gap in national sport and recreation data. We welcome the contribution this data will make to drive the ambition we share with the Government to increase participation.”We welcome that the survey again affirms Cricket’s place in the top tier of Australia’s leading participation sports and look forward to using the insights it provides to further grow Cricket participation.”However, it is important to note that school participation is presently omitted from the survey report. School participation is one of the key pillars of our participation framework and an area where Cricket has been enormously successful in recent years. We would welcome the inclusion of school participation in future AusPlay surveys to ensure it reflects an even broader participation footprint.”

Arsenal are believed to have made the most headway in the race to potentially sign West Ham United's Declan Rice ahead of the summer window.

How much will Declan Rice cost?

The Gunners may not have been able to get their hands on the Premier League's top prize this season but they will go into the new campaign with Champions League football on the menu.

And ahead of the summer transfer window, they are clearly looking to get off to a flying start as they monitor the situation of West Ham's Rice.

Indeed, it is believed the north London side have been eyeing a move for the 24-year-old for a while now but were waiting until the conclusion of the Hammers' European campaign.

Now the Irons have got their hands on the Europa Conference League trophy, it is reported the Gunners will look to lodge their first bid for the midfielder.

Arsenal are not the only club who are interested in potentially making a move for Rice this summer with Bayern Munich also believed to be keen on the Englishman.

What is clear, though, is that any side who are looking to secure his services this summer will have to part with a significant amount of money for the £100m-rated star.

And speaking on the Five YouTube channel, reliable journalist David Ornstein has claimed Mikel Arteta's side are the club that sit in the best position to land the midfielder, currently:

"But I sense that the consensus across the industry is that Arsenal will try and press on with this and rapidly to try and strike an agreement."

"From everything we know, Arsenal appear to stand the best chance and have made the most headway."

Will Arsenal sign Declan Rice?

The Gunners are expected to see a number of changes to their midfield from the 2022/23 campaign as they prepare for the new season.

Indeed, it is believed Granit Xhaka could well be headed for the exit doors in north London with a potential return to the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach possibly on the cards.

On top of the Switzerland international's potential departure, Jorginho is also believed to be on the transfer pile this summer despite only signing in January.

However, it will be interesting to see whether Edu Gaspar is willing to allow any major exits in midfield before potentially securing a deal for the West Ham midfielder.

Given Arsenal are not the only side showing an interest in him, it will also be intriguing to see whether a possible bidding war develops over the coming weeks.

Of course, the player may have a priority to where he wants to play his football for the foreseeable future, however, West Ham will be keen to bring in the biggest figure for their star man.

On a day that Alastair Cook scored his fifth Test century in India, the most by a visiting batsman, he came desperately close to registering an unlikely Test win, but was defied by his opposite number Virat Kohli

The Report by Sidharth Monga13-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:29

Compton: England walk away with psychological advantage

On a day that Alastair Cook scored his fifth Test century in India, the most by a visiting batsman, he came desperately close to registering an unlikely Test win, but his opposite number Virat Kohli and R Ashwin saw India through with a 14.2-over partnership after England needed six wickets in 25.2 of the minimum of 49 overs they had given themselves to win the Test in. As England bowled their overs quickly and got 52.3 of them in, Kohli, digging in, having a go at the team mascot for returning the ball too soon, casting rueful glances at his departing partners, hitting boundaries to eat up time, rescued India when they nearly threw it away through no experience of batting when to save Tests.As much as Kohli’s resistance, the lower-order runs in the first innings and some tight bowling at times, India could thank umpire Chris Gaffaney’s interpretation that Ashwin was playing a shot when his bat would be hidden behind the pad and about a foot wide of the line of the ball. It arguably earned India nine overs.Ashwin went on to survive 53 balls to go with Kohli’s 98 to finish a Test that he will count as a good one despite taking only three wickets in the whole match. England, though, will consider it as a moral victory. Ashwin had to bowl 61 overs for third of those wickets after he had struck with the last ball of the first session of the Test. His match figures of 3 for 230 were keeping in with his overall average of 53.4 against England.On the final day, Ashwin felt the need to bowl with a changed action, getting more side-on, rocking back on the right foot, which resulted in more pace and more rip, but all that it got him was economical figures. He conceded 31 runs in 13.3 overs, which might have had a part to play in the slightly conservative declaration: the asking rate for India was over six an over.Having come so close in the end, England will wonder if they could have declared earlier – when the asking rate reached five perhaps – but only those who have worked extremely hard to get into lead will know the risks involved in giving a chance to an opposition that had won 12 last home Tests not affected by weather. They would have also taken into the equation the pitch, which was turning square in the end but when England batted it did so from the rough and not from the centre, which is what concerns most batsmen.Adil Rashid look threatening in the final session•Associated PressThere will be those criticising the pitch, but they will do well to look at the number of missed chances that rose to 11 with Zafar Ansari dropping a tough chance from M Vijay and Stuart Broad shelling a dolly from Cheteshwar Pujara. Any of those wickets, coming at the back of Gautam Gambhir’s duck, would have opened the Test up. Staying unbeaten would have helped Gambhir’s case on a day that KL Rahul returned to first-class cricket. As he looks to revive his Test career, Gambhir did himself no favours by giving second slip catching practice after having played all around a straight delivery in the first innings.Vijay and Pujara then calmed India’s nerves for a bit before they got into an unusual drive fest against the spin of Ansari. Vijay had lofted him down the ground beautifully in the first innings, but this time got too close to one and failed to get the elevation. Drilled back at Ansar, this half chance hit the index finger of the right hand and popped out. The next offering, in the 11th over, went to Broad at point at about one-fifth the pace but popped out again.By the time Pujara got out lbw to Rashid’s legbreak that hit him in front of middle, which should mean that on a fifth-day pitch this had to be pitched outside leg, England had lost 5.4 valuable overs. Pujara’s partner, Vijay, didn’t help matters by looking away as opposed to being alert to a possible review.This was just before tea. Soon after the break, Vijay was done in by Rashid’s drift; playing at a delivery that pitched outside leg and came back to take his inside edge for a bat-pad catch. Ajinkya Rahane saw a short ball, shaped up to pull and exposed his stumps, and then ended up looking to cut as this Moeen Ali offbreak cramped him up. He was bowled off the pads, and you wondered if India – not the best at batting out draws – would mess this up too.Either not trusting their defensive games or mindful of bouncing balls going to hand if they defended, Kohli and Ashwin too kept playing their shots. Except in one particular over when Ashwin exploited the umpires’ leniency towards batsmen pretending to play at balls. On three occasions he was hit on the front pad well in front of and straight of the bat. On all three occasion, Gaffaney ruled not-out because he reckoned Ashwin played those balls. As much was confirmed when England challenged the middle call.The DRS playing conditions have no room for the third umpire to overrule the on-field umpire on whether the batsman played a shot or not. Gaffaney told third umpire Rod Tucker Ashwin had offered his bat in his opinion. The replays returned an umpire’s call here, but the other two were hitting the stumps flush.Finally, though, India’s need to attack got the better of them and Ashwin drove Ansari to short cover after having hit three fours in an Ansari over. India still had a minimum of 10 overs to survive. Wriddhiman Saha came out charging at the spinners, and was applauded by Kohli when he lofted one over mid-on. The charge got him soon as he offered a return catch to Rashid. This brought back memories of Adelaide when India had come close to an improbable target, but lost in a collapse triggered by Saha’s forays down the wicket.Kohli, though, stayed firm as the Test grew tenser in the last 10 overs. England tried everything. They brought all the fielders in, their reserve fielders sat the edge of the boundary to save time should India hit boundaries. One such boundary, hit by Ravindra Jadeja, bisected the two reserve fielders, but was returned promptly by Dharamveer, a specially abled man who travels to India matches and is allowed to watch from the boundary edge. Kohli let his annoyance known.Kohli saved the match in his own way. He used his wrists to keep the ball down but kept driving hard at balls. In he 46th over, it nearly got him out as he looked to whip a sharp offbreak to midwicket. The ball, fortunately for him, fell straight of forward short leg. In his own way, Jadeja kept hitting boundaries with Rashid spinning the ball into him, and ended up with 32 off 33.England will still be happy they pushed India after their batsmen had made the pitch and the bowling look easy. Cook became only the fourth visiting batsman to score 1000 runs in India, Haseeb Hameed registered the highest score for an England teenager but fell 18 short of what would have an emotional debut century in front of his family, and the promoted Ben Stokes scored a run-a-ball 29 to facilitate the declaration, but as it turned out England didn’t have enough time in the end.

A round-up of the third day of Group C matches in the seventh round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-2016Kerala conceded a slender first-innings lead before half-centuries from Bhavin Thakkar and captain Rohan Prem led them to a healthy lead of 222 with five wickets in hand, against Andhra in Guwahati.Andhra added 53 to their overnight score of 173 for 6 with the help of Ricky Bhui’s half-century. He stretched his score from 47 to 62 as Andhra were wrapped up for 226 after Vinod Kumar dismissed the two overnight batsmen.Paidikalva Vijaykumar, who shone with a six-for in the first innings, jolted Kerala again by dismissing Vishnu Vinod and Sanju Samson cheaply. However, opener Thakkar scored a brisk 56 and Prem, at No. 3, strengthened Kerala with 89, his sixth straight 50-plus score, to lead them past 200. Vijaykumar struck also removed Mohammed Azharuddeen for 36 as Kerala ended the day on 229 for 5.Hyderabad bowlers turned things around in Valsad by taking the last six Chhattisgarh wickets for a healthy first-innings lead of 163 runs which came in handy when Hyderabad were reduced to 115 for 9 in the third innings of the match.Chhattisgarh looked set to give Hyderabad a fight by resuming on 124 for 1. However, Chama Milind struck twice in the first over of the day to dismiss Abhimanyu Chauhan for 55 and Amandeep Khare for a duck. Milind also removed overnight batsman Sumit Ruikar 11 overs later to reduce them to 132 for 4. There was a brief resistance from Ashutosh Singh and captain Mohammad Kaif but both fell in consecutive overs and legspinner Akash Bhandari bagged the last three wickets to limit Chhattisgarh to 188.Chhattisgarh fought back when medium-oacers Pankaj Rao and Abhishek Tamrakar took four wickets each. The duo bowled economical spells to dismiss the top six batsmen before Bhandari, at No. 8, resisted with an unbeaten 29 to stretch the innings to setup an exciting last day, with a competitive lead of 278.An unbeaten and maiden double-century from opener Nitin Saini kept Haryana on track to take a first-innings lead against Goa in Ghaziabad. Haryana ended the third day on 392 for 3 in reply to Goa’s 413.Haryana were 110 for no loss overnight but Shubham Rohilla could score only nine runs on the day before handing a return catch to Amulaya Pandrekar for 41. Saiani crusied to his century but Mohit Hooda also gave a return catch, to Shadab Jakati, for 27 before Saini and Chaitanya Bishnoi combined for a massive stand of 227 for the third wicket.Bishnoi scored 90, his seventh first-class fifty, with 11 fours while Saini clubbed 20 fours during his 12th hundred in the format. Bishnoi was dismissed just before stumps and Saini was unbeaten on 211 as Haryana were only 21 away from Goa’s score.Services put themselves in the driver’s seat in Surat by bowling Himachal Pradesh out for 296, for a first-innings lead of 105, and then ending the third day on 197 for 4 after a strong opening stand.Himachal were 182 for 4 overnight and even though some of their lower-order batsmen got starts, nobody crossed 50 on the third day. Robin Bist scored 49, Sumeet Verma was unbeaten on 40 and captain Bipul Sharma scored 47 but Sachidanand Pandey and Anshul Gupta spoiled Himachal’s plans by taking three wickets each to restrict them under 300.Gupta then scored 60 and Nakul Verma 42 in their opening stand of 91 before both were dismissed by left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar. Services lost two more wickets and Rahul Singh (32*) and Vikas Hathwala (2*) saw them through till stumps.Jammu & Kashmir finished the third day 216 ahead, after taking a narrow first-innings lead against Tripura at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.Tripura had begun the day on 193 for 6, 122 behind J&K’s 315. Opener and overnight batsman Bishal Ghosh was dismissed in the eighth over of the day, for 95. Tripura were still 96 behind when he was dismissed, but allrounder Gurinder Singh batted with the tail to bring them close. He batted with a strike-rate of 75.67 in an unbeaten 84 with 12 fours and a six, as the last three wickets added 78 runs, but could not manage to push the score further than 297.In the second innings, J&K lost their openers within the space of three balls with the score on 44, before Ian Dev Singh (67*) put on 63 for the third wicket with Pranav Gupta (26) and an unbroken 91 with Parvez Rasool (60*) to take them to 198 for 3 at stumps.

Newcastle United are showing an interest in signing Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams this summer, a new transfer update has claimed.

Will Adams leave Leeds in the summer?

The Magpies could be set to embark upon a hugely productive summer transfer window, having secured a top-four finish in the Premier League and sealed a return to the Champions League in the process.

That could make a huge different when it comes to the calibre of players Newcastle could sign in the coming weeks and months, as they look to ensure that they don't rest on their laurels and keep improving instead.

The money will be there for Eddie Howe to make significant reinforcements and he could see midfield as a key area of the pitch strengthen, with arguably too much reliance on Bruno Guimaraes, who looked tired in the final stages of the season.

Will Newcastle look to snap up Adams?

According to The Telegraph, Newcastle are interested in adding "Leeds' best player" to their midfield in the summer window:

"Adams was arguably Leeds’ best player last season, and also thrived at the World Cup in December with the USA national side, before his season was ended by a hamstring injury back in March that required surgery.

"Sources have also indicated that Newcastle were impressed by Adams’ character and combative nature when he played at St James’ Park during a goalless draw on New Year’s Day.

"The 24-year-old, who arrived at Leeds from RB Leipzig for just £20 million last summer, is also able to play wide or through the middle in midfield and can also be deployed as a wing back and would hopefully be available for less than £30 million."

Adams could be exactly what Newcastle are after this summer, with the 24-year-old proving to be an excellent signing by Leeds, despite their eventual relegation from the Premier League last month.

Jesse Marsch labelled him "very important" and he certainly stood out as their star player throughout the campaign, winning an average of 3.7 tackles per game in the league, as well as 1.5 interceptions and 1.1 aerial duels.

The American was also described as "exceptional" by pundit Lucy Ward for his performances at the 2022 World Cup, and he could be viewed as an upgrade on someone like Sean Longstaff moving forward.

For all his excellence in 2022/23, he needs to eventually be turned into a squad player if Newcastle are to reach that next level, possessing quality but yet to win a cap for England and only averaging 1.3 tackles and 0.5 interceptions last season.

Nitish Kumar, the 22-year-old allrounder, has been named Canada’s new captain in a 14-man squad to take on USA in the Auty Cup

Peter Della Penna12-Oct-2016Allrounder Nitish Kumar has been named Canada’s new captain in a 14-man squad to take on USA in the Auty Cup – which will be contested as a three-match 50-over series this year – beginning on October 13 in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old takes over from Rizwan Cheema, who ended his Canada career earlier this year to take up an offer from the Capricorn Commanders in the Masters Champions League held in the UAE.Canada squad

Nitish Kumar (capt), Bhavindu Adhihetty, Satsimranjit Dhindsa, Nikhil Dutta, Dilon Heyliger, Shehan Kamileen, Farhan Malik, Salman Nazar, Cecil Pervez, Parveen Saroye, Varun Sehdev, Junaid Siddiqui, Hamza Tariq (wk), Srimantha Wijeyratne

Kumar made his Canada debut as a 14-year-old, and has captaincy experience at junior level, having led Canada’s Under-15 and Under-19 squads in the past. In addition to playing first-class cricket for MCCU Loughborough, Kumar was contracted to the St. Lucia Zouks in the Caribbean Premier League this year.Canada’s chances of retaining the Auty Cup will be dented by the absence of three key players. Ruvindu Gunasekera, Navneet Dhaliwal and Jeremy Gordon, who had all been part of the ICC Americas combined team that went to Trinidad & Tobago in January for the WICB Nagico Super50, have been left out. According to Cricket Canada general manager Ingleton Liburd, the trio was unavailable for selection for the Auty Cup tour.Their spots have been taken by four uncapped players, including Bhavindu Adhihetty, who was part of the Canada squad at this year’s Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh. The others are Dilon Hyliger, Varun Sehdev and Shehan Kamileen.One other key addition to the Canada squad is the returning Nikhil Dutta. The offspinner was not a part of Canada’s last touring side to the 2015 World T20 Qualifier in Scotland and Ireland, and his absence was felt. Canada had finished last in their group, having won the ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 championship earlier that year, when he was their leading wicket-taker.Canada will be coached by Davy Jacobs, the former South African first-class cricketer, who captained the Warriors franchise from 2008 to 2014. Jacobs, 33, had also fetched a $190,000-bid in the IPL auction in 2011 and represented the Mumbai Indians for two seasons. He now lives in Toronto and coaches at a local academy, in addition to guiding the national team.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to convince one of their former managers to return to Parkhead this summer to replace Ange Postecoglou…

What's the latest on Brendan Rodgers to Celtic?

According to the Daily Record, the Hoops are hoping to talk Brendan Rodgers into enjoying a second spell with the Scottish giants after the Northern Irishman left Premier League side Leicester City earlier this year.

Majority shareholder Dermot Desmond revealed last year that he is actively involved in the managerial processes at the club, and is now lining up a swoop to reunite with the 50-year-old tactician.

The report, however, claims that the ex-Liverpool manager has told friends and family that he is planning to take a year away from football before returning to a job in one of Europe's top five leagues, which means that Desmond will need to produce a compelling pitch to tempt him into taking the role.

Would Brendan Rodgers be a success at Celtic?

The Hoops could pull off a masterstroke by bringing the former Swansea boss, who typically plays 4-2-3-1, back to Parkhead as the tinkerer would be Neil Lennon 2.0 for the club.

Rodgers, who was once dubbed a "genius" by reporter Sid Lowe, enjoyed two full seasons in charge of Celtic in 16/17 and 17/18, winning the Scottish Premiership title in both campaigns as well as five domestic cups – including three League Cup trophies and two FA Cups.

His incredible trophy haul in less than three years in Scotland illustrates the coach's excellent ability to build a winning team and instil a relentless mentality across all competitions, with pundit Hugh Keevins once hailing the "terrific" job he did.

Would it work the second time around, though? Well, it did for Lennon when the Northern Irishman made his grand comeback to Paradise in 2019.

The 51-year-old had won three titles in his last three seasons with Celtic between 2011/12 and 2013/14 and came back a few years ago to secure the Premiership trophy in 18/19 and 19/20, albeit before tendering his resignation in the latter stages of the following campaign.

Even despite that abrupt exit, Lennon's return shows that it is possible for a manager to achieve success in two separate spells in charge of the club without ruining the legacy that they created during their first time at the helm.

Rodgers, who won the FA Cup and the Community Shield during his tenure at Leicester, is a proven winner who knows how to build a team to compete on all fronts and that could make him the ideal candidate to replace Postecoglou, whose side won the domestic treble this season.

Therefore, Celtic must convince the ex-Hoops boss to take the job for a second time as he has the potential to come in and be Lennon 2.0 next term.

Liverpool are believed to be in talks with Borussia Mönchengladbach ace Manu Kone, who could be the perfect alternative to Real Madrid-bound Jude Bellingham.

What's the latest on Manu Kone to Liverpool?

That's according to BILD's Christian Falk, who recently took to Twitter to state that the Reds have "started transfer talks" with the 22-year-old midfielder as they seek to bolster their sapped midfield.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano corroborated Falk's news by claiming that, following the negotiations this week, the fee is expected to be around €35/40m (£34/30m), and that the Frenchman's outfit are willing to 'let him leave for that fee'.

This is likely due to the player entering the penultimate year of his contract with the Foals, and with the aforementioned facts, it is possible he has no desire to renew terms and, as such, will be shipped out for an adequate fee.

Should Liverpool sign Manu Kone?

Falk's Twitter musings stated that Kone could well be the "alternative" to the prodigious engine that is Borussia Dortmund's Bellingham.

While the transfer of Alexis Mac Allister, who is edging towards a move to Anfield, will be the No. 1 priority as the first order of business, the moves being made indicate that a meticulously drawn out plan is now being enacted – most pleasing for Liverpool supporters after a dismal previous transfer window – when considering central midfielders – that left Jurgen Klopp with just the loan signing of Arthur Melo to bolster the centre.

Arthur was stricken by injury all year and actually failed to grace the Premier League pitch, with the myopic stagnancy on the transfer front contributing to the club falling by the wayside and missing out on Champions League football for the first time in seven seasons.

Kone, while young, has been hailed as a "one-man army" by talent scout Jacek Kulig and indeed exudes swagger and strength in a way that belies his youthful years, having made 60 appearances for his German Bundesliga club and cemented his central placement since signing from Toulouse in 2020.

As per Sofascore, Kone completed 87% of his passes this term and averaged 2.5 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 0.7 key passes, impressing despite his side's languishing tenth place finish.

While he is typically an anchoring midfielder, Klopp is perhaps enticed by his driving presence, ranking among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 21% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, which illustrates his prowess at bypassing hapless defenders and surging into promising positions.

This is something Bellingham is first-rate at doing, ranking himself among the top 8% and 1% for the same metrics, and while the precocious Englishman is more refined in this sense, Kone could be clinched at a portion of the €100m (£87m) plus add-ons price that the Yellow Wall demand of their most coveted asset.

While he is thriving as a 'one-man army' at the nucleus of his Gladbach outfit, Liverpool are taking the requisite steps to return to the forefront after wandering astray this year, and he could be moulded into one of Europe's superlative midfielders under Klopp's wing on Merseyside.