Crystal Palace are plotting a move for Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi, Football Insider report.
What’s the latest on Furuhashi’s Celtic future?
Furuhashi arrived at Celtic Park back in 2021 from Vissel Kobe and has since taken the Scottish Premiership by storm with his impressive performances under manager Ange Postecoglou.
The Hoops star has contributed to 31 goals in 40 games during the current campaign, taking his overall tally in Glasgow to 56 goal contributions in 73 appearances.
The Japanese forward is the top scorer in Scotland and is under contract until 2025, but it appears as if his displays have been catching the eye at Selhurst Park two years on after they signed Odsonne Edouard from Celtic.
Football Insider shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Palace and Furuhashi, claiming that the Eagles have watched the forward on a number of occasions in recent months. The report states that the Premier League side are plotting a summer swoop, with a fee in the region of £15m possibly enough to get a deal over the line.
A worry for Celtic and Postecoglou
The news of a potential £15m move to England for Furuhashi may come as a worry to Postecoglou, who has hailed the star forward in recent months. The Celtic boss labelled Furuhashi’s movement as “outstanding” and the best he’s ever seen just last month.
"It's not about him taking his game up to another level. He's doing his role well and is really disciplined. It's just at times we don't see the potential for what can come of his movement.
"I get frustrated because I'm kind of wanting perfection like most managers, but that doesn't exist. Kyogo's movement I think is outstanding. It's the best I've ever seen.
"He's so hard to pick up for the opposition and I think sometimes it's hard to pick up for us to know when exactly to play it."
He has scored 10 more goals than any player at Parkhead this season and appears to be a real fox in the box as he averages just 6.4 passes per game this season, as per WhoScored.
Celtic also have a slight shortage of centre-forward options, with January arrival Hyeon-gyu Oh the only other striker available to Postecoglou alongside Furuhashi, so selling the forward over the coming months would leave the Hoops needing a new marquee attacker, which could come as a concern to a number of supporters.
Prior to their relegation in 2004, Leeds United had an enjoyable time in the Premier League, and invested well. And, in fairness to those in charge at Elland Road, their business hasn’t exactly been woeful since returning to the top flight in 2020.
Last summer, they signed Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, Tyler Adams, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Wilfried Gnonto, and Joel Robles, and then added to that by signing Georginio Rutter, Maximilian Wober, and Weston McKennie in the January transfer window.
If they perform anything like the players listed below, then Leeds fans are in for a treat. With that said, we’ve ranked Leeds United’s greatest signings of the Premier League era.
10) Michael Bridges – £6.75m
If it wasn’t for injuries, then Michael Bridges would sit near the top of this list. The forward arrived for £6.75 million in the 1999/00 season, and scored 19 goals in his debut season; he looked destined to become a crucial player at Elland Road. The injury curse soon struck, however, and he was never the same player.
9) Lee Bowyer – £2.8m
Arriving for a record fee for a teenager at the time (£2.8 million), the pressure was on for Lee Bowyer to perform at Leeds United. But, as the famous saying goes, pressure makes diamonds. Or, in football terms, pressure makes talismanic, world class players. And, this was very much the case for Bowyer, who scored 55 goals and made 265 appearances for Leeds.
8) Robbie Fowler – £11m
Football – Leeds United Press Conference – Robbie Fowler signing – Thorp Arch, Wetherby – 30/11/01 Leeds United new signing Robbie Fowler Mandatory Credit: Action Images Digital
Though Fowler only spent one season at Elland Road, 14 goals in 32 appearances is an impressive enough record to get on this list. The forward signed for the club in 2001 for £11 million, before leaving to Manchester City a season later, as a financial crisis engulfed the club. One has to think that, without that, he would have scored plenty more goals for the Elland Road club.
7) Olivier Dacourt – £8m
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership , Leeds United v Manchester United , 14/9/02 Leeds’ Olivier Dacourt is challenged by Man United’s Nicky Butt Mandatory Credit:Action Images / Darren Walsh
A key part of the side that reached the Champions League last four in 2000/01, Olivier Dacourt cost Leeds United £8 million in 2000, which was a club record at the time. The midfielder’s form at Elland Road even earned him a consistent place in the France national team – epitomising just how good he was. He ended his Leeds career with 82 appearances, before joining Roma.
6) Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – £2.5m
Chelsea’s Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink celebrates his goal against NottsCounty during the English League Cup third round soccer match atStamford Bridge, London October 29, 2003. NO ONLINE/INTERNET USAGEWITHOUT A LICENCE FROM THE FOOTBALL DATA CO LTD. FOR LICENCE ENQUIRIESPLEASE TELEPHONE +44 207 298 1656 REUTERS/Marcello PozzettiMP/AA/JV
One of the best strikers in Premier League history, it’s a shame that Leeds United couldn’t keep hold of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for longer than two seasons. Signing for £2.5 million, Hasselbaink went on to score 35 goals in 79 appearances, whilst also making 11 assists. He also helped Leeds bank a tidy profit, as he left for Atletico Madrid for £10m, before eventually returning to England with Chelsea.
5) Dominic Matteo – £6.41m
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership – Fulham v Leeds United – 13/3/04 Leed’s Dominic Matteo at the end of the game Mandatory Credit : Action Images / Andrew Budd Livepic
Another player who played a big part as Leeds shocked the world to reach the Champions League semi-finals in the 2000/01 season, Dominic Matteo signed from Liverpool for £6.41 million in 2000. The defender made an instant impact as a mainstay in the side. By the time that he left the Yorkshire club, Matteo had made 144 appearances in four years. A cult icon at Elland Road.
4) Nigel Martyn – £3m
Leeds United’s Rio Ferdinand (L) Olivier Dacourt (C) and goalkeeper Nigel Martyn celebrate after their match against Deportivo La Coruna in the Champions League quarter-final at the Estadio Municipal De Riazor April 17, 2001. Leeds United lost the match 2-0 but advanced to the Champions League semifinal with a 3-2 aggrigate win over Deportivo Coruna.DC/AA
One of the best shot-stoppers in Leeds United history, Nigel Martyn arrived for £3 million in 1996, before going on to make 258 appearances for the Yorkshire club. In those 258 appearances, Martyn saw it all, including a Champions League semi-final, as Leeds almost shocked the world in the 2000/01 season, and he briefly became England’s No.1 too, winning 23 caps for his country.
3) Tony Yeboah – £2.93m
When we think of the name Tony Yeboah, we instantly begin reminiscing about the rockets he used to unleash in the Premier League. Where there was space and time, there was a Yeboah screamer, just look at that goal against Wimbledon. It’s fair to say that, for £2.93 million, Leeds got themselves a bargain in 1995. He ended his career with the club with 30 goals in 57 games. That’s a stunning record.
2) Rio Ferdinand – £18m
Football – 11/5/02 , Stock Season 01/02 Rio Ferdinand – Leeds United Mandatory Credit:Action Images / Tony O’Brien Digital
Now, whilst Rio Ferdinand remains an unpopular figure amongst Leeds United fans, his talent just cannot be ignored. The Yorkshire club signed the Premier League legend for a British transfer record of £18 million in 2000, and proved to be an instant difference-maker, as Leeds reached the Champions League last four. He went for a huge profit to join Manchester United for £30m, too.
1) Mark Viduka – £8.24m
Speaking of difference-makers, Mark Viduka is one of the best that Leeds United fans have seen in the Premier League. The Australian scored 71 goals in 164 games after arriving for £8.24 million in 2000. In his debut season, Viduka netted 17 goals in 34 Premier League appearances. When he left, he joined Middlesbrough, leaving as a Leeds legend.
So, there you have it, our list of Leeds United’s greatest signings in the Premier League era, featuring some world class players. Those at Elland Road will be hoping to see their recent business turn into similar success when compared to the transfers of years like 2000.
Unlike 2000, however, relegation could prove to be the ultimate price if their arrivals turn into flops, instead of future greats. Last season, Jesse Marsch’s side just about avoided the drop. This season, if the likes of Aaronson are not instant hits, they may not be so fortunate.
Leeds United are in pole position to sign Club Brugge and Canada winger Tajon Buchanan this summer, a new report has claimed.
The Lowdown: Buchanan appears at World Cup
The 24-year-old was a key member of Canada’s squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, starting all three matches in the group stage before their exit.
Buchanan chipped in with one assist in the competition, coming against eventual third-place finishers Croatia, and he enhanced his reputation in Qatar.
The winger isn’t out of contract at Brugge until 2025 but now a rumour has emerged regarding his future.
The Latest: Leeds in pole position…
According to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Leeds are interested in snapping up Buchanan this summer, with Inter Milan also keen on signing him.
Brugge are believed to be ‘asking for €30million (£26.6m)’ for the Canadian – but Leeds think they could even get him for €25million (£22m).
It’s added that the Whites are ‘in the lead’ in the race as they enter pole position for his signing.
Buchanan’s performances at the World Cup showed what he is capable of and he is someone who could be an astute attacking signing by Leeds this summer.
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He has been hailed as a ‘tireless’ player by journalist Kristian Jack in the past and four goals in 28 caps for his country is a solid return for someone who should only improve in the coming years.
Granted, Buchanan’s performances for Brugge haven’t been too eye-catching, with only one league goal and assist coming his way in 15 appearances, but he is an exciting footballer who could provide Leeds with much-needed attacking depth.
YouTuber Conor McGilligan has slammed the idea that Steven Gerrard could replace Jesse Marsch as Leeds United manager claiming they are too similar.
What’s the latest on Gerrard to Leeds?
With the Whites still on the lookout for an appointment, The Mirror reports that a number of rejections may have led them to the former Aston Villa boss.
Indeed, the story claims that Gerrard could be the man they turn to after attempts to bring in West Brom head coach Carlos Corberan, Rayo Vallecano’s Andoni Iraola and Feyenoord manager Arne Slot have all failed.
The Premier League side lost on the weekend to Manchester United and with the threat of relegation looming, they won’t want to delay much longer before appointing a permanent manager.
However, while speaking about it all on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan insisted that Gerrard would be no different to Marsch.
He explained: “Gerrard did well at Rangers, he did. He had decent backing, he did well at Rangers.
“Got given a bigger job when he came to Aston Villa, then the players didn’t know what they were doing. He’d come out, he’d publicly go at players, say that he wanted lots more from them here, there and everywhere.
“It’s a mirror of Marsch. It’s a mirror. I think Gerrard actually needs to step down to the Championship to build himself up again. How can he be handed a massive job like Leeds United after being sacked by Aston Villa? The expectations need to grow.”
What could appointing Gerrard mean for Leeds?
Marsch joined Leeds last February having built up his reputation as a coach outside of England. Similarly, Gerrard joined Villa having never managed at senior level in England, impressing at Rangers instead.
Marsch lasted just 37 games as boss with the Whites, averaging 1.16 points per game. Once more comparably, Gerrard oversaw just three more games (40) while with the Villans, picking up only 1.18 points per game.
With that in mind, it’s easy to see why the comparison has been made and why there would be plenty of doubts about just how much better Gerrard would be if given the job.
Still, with plenty of options rejecting Leeds already, options are dwindling and the former Liverpool man does at least have a connection with Elland Road favourite Gary McAllister – with the pair working together at Villa and Rangers.
And so perhaps this will be enough to tempt the Whites into making the appointment.
Journalist Joe Donnohue was awestruck by a ‘moment of magic’ from Wilfried Gnonto in Leeds United’s 0-0 draw at home to Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Lowdown: Leeds held by Brentford
The Whites faced another big game in their battle against relegation, as an in-form and dangerous Bees outfit made the trip north to Elland Road.
It was a game which had plenty of needle to it, with tackles flying in from both teams (31 in total), but technical quality came at a premium for much of proceedings.
In the end, both Leeds and Brentford had to settle with a share of the spoils, the goalless draw likely to please the visitors more than the home side.
The Latest: Gnonto catches Donnohue’s eye
Gnonto was a vibrant presence throughout the game, and while providing live updates via Twitter, Donnohue lauded one particularly eye-catching dribble from the Leeds starlet in the 32nd minute.
The Yorkshire Evening Post reporter gushed:
“Willy Gnonto with his first little moment of magic today. Wrestles possession free from Roerslev and just drives through the Brentford midfield, picking his pass and releasing at the right moment. Nothing comes of it in the end, but it was gooood.”
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The Verdict: Huge talent
This was another hugely encouraging performance by Gnonto, who caused Brentford problems all afternoon with his pace, trickery and unpredictability.
The aforementioned dribble was just one moment of class and he always looked like making someone happen, making one key pass and taking two shots (one on target), as per Sofascore.
Gnonto is someone whose inclusion in Jesse Marsch’s starting line-up is swiftly becoming a regular occurrence, and the hope is that the eight-cap Italy international continues to go from strength to strength.
Tottenham Hotspur’s season has hardly gone to plan, especially considering how they started under manager Antonio Conte.
The Italian head coach led his new team on an illustrious run of form resulting in securing Champions League football and would start this current campaign seven games unbeaten.
But they now find themselves five points adrift from the top-four, with their recent loss to arch-rivals Arsenal seeing them fall even further to the wayside.
Whilst that result was always going to be tough to take, and the ramifications have had a big impact at the top end of the table, it seems like the main takeaway has been to speed up the exit of club captain Hugo Lloris.
At least that is the thoughts of journalist Sami Mokbel, who writes in the Daily Mail that his north London derby blunder could pave the way for his replacement.
The 36-year-old veteran was at fault for the opening goal, as he parried a deflected cross into his own net on his way to earning a 6.6 Sofascore rating. He has now made three errors this season that have directly led to a goal.
Of those mentioned in the report is Jordan Pickford, who has been seen at the club as a potential replacement for the French shot-stopper for some time now.
The England international has starred for Everton since his £30m move with many arguing that his quality is undeserving of the relegation battles the Toffees have found themselves in.
His exploits last season helped Frank Lampard navigate his side to safety, as he made 117 saves across the campaign, with just one error that led to a goal.
Whilst he earned many accolades for his standout performances that campaign, his display against Chelsea was particularly mesmeric, as he made five saves including a double stop that would earn the Save of the Season award.
Despite his side’s poor recent form he has seemingly upped his game again this year, maintaining a 7.07 average rating whilst also impressing once again on the international stage.
It was for England where he has seen the most exposure for his unorthodox but exceptional practices, with Sky Sports editor Simeon Gholam labelling him a “legend” during his EURO 2021 where he broke numerous records.
The Athletic’s senior football writer Stuart James would support this by describing him as “crucial” for England.
He is a man for the big occasion, despite what some might claim, and it is not controversial to suggest he deserves better than the issues plaguing his current club.
It might not be imminent, but Lloris must be replaced sooner rather than later. Pickford represents a fine alternative boasting plenty of longevity and quality.
West Ham United could land the next N’Golo Kante, as David Moyes is eyeing a move for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo in January.
That’s according to the Daily Mail, which claims that the Hammers are interested in luring the 21-year-old to east London as a potential replacement for Declan Rice, although any such move could cost the Irons a staggering £85m.
Caicedo starred for Ecuador at the World Cup, even scoring against Senegal in their final group match, but it wasn’t enough to see the South American side qualify for the knockout stages.
The youngster has been likened to Kante, and Moyes could land his own version of the combative Frenchman. The two midfielders are quite similar when it comes to playing styles and South American football expert Tim Vickery has lavished praise on Caicedo while making that comparison with the Chelsea star.
Speaking to talkSPORT last year, the journalist said of the Ecuadorian: “A year ago he was saying that Kante of Chelsea is his role model but he is already more than that. He already offers more in the final third.
“That kind of box-to-box midfielder that’s very much in the tradition of the England game. Strong, quick, intelligent, and cool. He really does look like the genuine article.”
Ecuadorian football historian Enrico Castro-Montes also sang Caicedo’s praises while speaking to Het Niuewsblad (via Sport Witness), saying: “In his own country, he is really seen as the crown jewel of a new generation.
“Caicedo really has everything to become the best Ecuadorian footballer of all time. I think that off the ball, he is indeed somewhat reminiscent of Kante, but on the ball, he resembles Paul Pogba with his flair and his technique.”
Caicedo’s form this season has been impressive to say the least, with the midfielder averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.12/10 while making 1.1 key passes, averaging 67.8 touches and winning 3.1 tackles per match in the Premier League.
This embodies the qualities that Kante displays on a regular basis, and Caicedo certainly has the talent to become a newer version of the Frenchman.
The aforementioned £85m asking price seems ridiculously high, but with Rice seemingly having his sights set on leaving West Ham, Moyes can demand a high transfer fee for the Englishman, which in turn can be spent on signing the Ecuador international from Brighton.
Nottingham Forest will surely be implementing the lessons learned after the ambitious £150m splurge over the summer transfer window when the market re-opens next month.
Indeed, the Tricky Trees needed to rebuild their squad upon their promotion to the Premier League but it is safe to say some of the 22 new players acquired have not met the expectations that the club owner Evangelos Marinakis would have set.
Forest have spent the majority of their campaign in the relegation zone after a string of poor performances that have made it difficult for Steve Cooper to get his team competing and comfortably challenging in the top flight this season so far.
Marinakis even went as far as sacking his head of recruitment and head of scouting due to a disappointing review of the business done in the summer, not only in the recruitment of the current crop of players at The City Ground but also the players that the club have missed out on.
One player the club had on their radar but ultimately snubbed in the summer was Croatia and Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, with David Ornstein revealing that Forest had the opportunity to sign him for a cut price €5m-€10m (£4.2m – £8.5m).
The Athletic journalist revealed that Forest were close to snapping up the talented ‘keeper but decided they wanted a more ‘high-profile’ player to fill the role after Brice Samba departed – a decision that will now surely haunt Marinakis.
Livakovic has been representing his country at the World Cup in Qatar and has easily been one of the biggest stand-outs at the prestigious international tournaments, as well as breaking records whilst leading his team to the semi-finals with his outstanding shot-stopping.
The 27-year-old ace – who was dubbed “reliable” by Statman Dave – made four penalty shoot-out saves over the tournament, something no other stopper has achieved in World Cup history.
Over six appearances in the Middle East, Livakovic kept two clean sheets, completed 24 saves and won 100% of his aerial duels, as well as averaging 20.3 accurate passes and 38.2 touches per game, with his most notable performance coming in the penalty shoot-out against Brazil that knocked Neymar and his teammates out of the competition.
It has been reported over the last few days that Bayern Munich are now keen to secure the services of Livakovic to be the successor to Manuel Neuer after impressing the Bundesliga giants.
With that being said, it is safe to say that Marinakis and his recruitment team had a howler on Livakovic and it is likely there will be no opportunity for second chances with a club like Bayern now interested in the player.
Leeds United are ‘in the front row’ to sign Sasa Lukic in the January transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a report by Italian media outlet Forza Roma (via Sport Witness), who claim that, despite the interest of Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma, it is Victor Orta who is now leading the race to sign the Torino midfielder this winter.
The report goes on to state that this is down to the fact that Il Toro’s director of football, Davide Vagnati, is demanding a €15m (£13m) fee in order to part with the 26-year-old in January – a price the Giallorossi cannot afford.
Finally, it is suggested that the Serbian wants a move away from the Stadio Olimpico this winter, with it being claimed that Lukic ‘will have a direct confrontation with the Torino management to ask for a transfer’ upon his return from the Qatar World Cup.
“Excellent” signing
While it is true that Tyler Adams and Marc Roca have both highly impressed since their respective moves to Elland Road this summer, with the duo having scored just one goal and registered one assist between them in the Premier League so far this season, it is clear that slightly more attacking flair would be a welcome addition in Jesse Marsch’s squad.
And, over his 35 Serie A appearances last season, the £17.5m-rated Lukic was in fantastic attacking form, bagging five goals, providing four assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots, making 0.9 key passes and completing 0.8 dribbles – at a success rate of 74% – per game.
These metrics saw the 26-year-old who Gleison Bremer dubbed an “excellent midfielder” average an eye-catching SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Ivan Jurić’s sixth-best player in the Italian top flight.
The £22k-per-week talent has once again shone going forwards this season, having already hit the back of the net twice and created two big chances for his teammates over his 12 league fixtures, in addition to making an average of one key pass, taking one shot and playing 2.7 long balls – at a success rate of 68% – per game.
These returns have seen the Serbia international average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.95, currently ranking him as Torino’s third-best performer in the division.
As such, with Lukic appearing to be a much more creative force in the final third than the likes of Adams and Roca, the news that Orta looks to be leading the race for the midfielder is undoubtedly fantastic news for Leeds, as the 26-year-old would certainly make an excellent addition to Marsch’s current options in the middle of the park.
Glasgow Rangers winger Ryan Kent is now attracting interest from the Premier League ahead of the January transfer window.
The Lowdown: Another one…
The Ibrox outfit sold Joe Aribo to Southampton in the summer and Nathan Patterson to Everton in January.
Aribo played a stunning 57 times for the first team last season, and Patterson 11 times before his move (Transfermarkt), and now another first-teamer could be on his way to the English top flight.
The Latest: Fulham eyeing Kent
As per Football Insider, Fulham are now eyeing a potential move for Kent, who can sign a pre-contract agreement with a non-Scottish club in January.
He is out of contract in the summer, and talks over an extension have failed. Fulham could potentially sign him for a cut-price in January, or agree on a pre-contract to get him for free at the end of the season.
Unfortunately for the Gers, it does not look like Kent is going to sign a new deal, and should his situation remain the same, they’ll need to sell him in January in order to get a transfer fee for his departure.
Some of his performances have been criticised this campaign, with suggestions that he is already looking elsewhere, and you’d expect that Giovanni van Bronckhorst will not want to keep an unhappy player at the club.
As much of a good servant as Kent has been to the Light Blues, January presents the perfect time to part ways.