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Manchester United may be about to strike lucky after it emerged that one of their long-term targets is set to be sold this summer.

United need change after Palace humiliation

A heavy 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Crystal Palace underlined Manchester United's need for change on and off the pitch this summer.

Manager Erik ten Hag seems a dead man walking despite vowing to fight on, while there are going to have to be major changes to the playing staff too. As it stands, the Red Devils sit 8th in the Premier League and could end the season without any European football to look forward to next season, after finishing bottom of their Champions League group this time around.

Sofyan Amrabat's loan will not be made permanent, with the Moroccan having proved a disaster at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Anthony Martial, Jonny Evans and Raphael Varane are all out of contract in the summer and will likely be allowed to leave, which will free up significant wages.

Ratcliffe hunting buyer for Man Utd star called a "joke" at Crystal Palace

It follows another awful display for the Red Devils.

ByBen Browning May 7, 2024

The Manchester Evening News claim that as many as 21 players could leave the club this summer in a major clear out, and while this may be optimistic it seems certain that there will be change in defence.

Man Utd problems at centre back

Player

Games played (out of 48)

Lisandro Martinez

11

Jonny Evans

26

Harry Maguire

31

Victor Lindelof

27

Raphael Varane

30

Willy Kambwala

9

They have been linked with the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Jean-Clair Todibo, but now a new target may have fallen into their lap.

Benfica star set to leave

That comes courtesy of Portuguese outlet Record, who report that Benfica are gearing up for another big sale this summer.

The newspaper [via Sport Witness] claim that the Lions are "planning a significant sale", and have decided that Antonio Silva will be the player sacrificed to continue their transfer policy, having waved goodbye to the likes of Darwin Nunez, Enzo Fernandez and Goncalo Ramos in recent transfer windows.

There has been significant speculation over Joao Neves, but Benfica are keen to balance their books with the sale of defender Silva instead, who is liked by plenty of Europe's top clubs.

Manchester United are named as one of the chief interested parties, with "United having officials watch almost every Benfica match" to keep an eye on the youngster. Alongside the Red Devils, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG are all also named as those keen on the 20-year-old, who still has three years left to run on his £26k-per week contract in Portugal's second city.

His deal has a 100m euro release clause (£86m) but it is unlikely that Benfica will demand that amount to part ways with him, though it is added that they are yet to set a price tag on the Portuguese starlet. Still just 20 and with a wealth of experience under his belt, Silva seems destined for the very top. But he would come at a hefty price.

The 2023/24 season has been a frustrating campaign for Manchester United. They currently sit in sixth in the Premier League table and are mathematically unable to qualify for the Champions League next season.

In Europe, their misery continued, with the Red Devils getting eliminated from the Champions League in record-breaking fashion. As per Opta Joe, the 15 goals they conceded on the way to bottom of the group elimination was the most goals a Premier League side has ever conceded in the group stage.

Coping with injury issues has been a struggle for Erik ten Hag's side this season, and they have had over 60 separate cases of injury and illness throughout the course of the entire campaign. With that being said, their tough season can not be solely blamed on that.

New signings such as Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana have taken time to bed into the squad, and the likes of Marcus Rashford and Casemiro have not had the easiest season of their career.

According to reports, Brazil captain Casemiro is one man who could leave Old Trafford this summer. The 32-year-old, who joined the club in August 2022 from Real Madrid for £70m, could well be set to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, with United already thought to be eyeing up a replacement.

Man Utd looking to sign Dutch midfielder

The player in question here is Feyenoord and Netherlands international midfielder Mats Wieffer. The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away from Feyenoord this summer, with a whole host of elite European clubs rumoured to be interested.

According to reports in Spain, United are one of five sides said to be chasing Wieffer’s signature next summer, which includes Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle and Liverpool.

Indeed, this may be a deal that is easiest for Liverpool to do; their new head coach is set to be Wieffer’s current manager at Feyenoord, Arne Slot, who will take over from Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season.

The Netherlands international, who has nine caps and one goal for his country, has become a key player under Slot this season. He has made 29 Eredivisie appearances so far, scoring five times and registering three assists, as well as notching up two goal involvements in the Champions League, in six appearances.

Despite the fact that Liverpool could well be favourites to secure Wieffer’s signature, United are likely to still pursue a deal for the midfielder, who is set to cost much more than the £512k Feyenoord paid for him in the first place.

Why Wieffer would be a good signing

Should United manage to sign Wieffer, the in-demand talent might be the perfect replacement for Casemiro. Not only that, he could also be the perfect partner in midfield for Kobbie Mainoo, and the pair could form a midfield partnership for many years to come.

The former Excelsior man was described as having "shades of Declan Rice" on X by football Analyst H, before explaining the way he uses his “long legs in duels and when covering ground” is similar to the England international.

This is certainly reflected in Wieffer’s stats, with the midfield machine's numbers off the ball impressive. According to Fbref, he makes 4.56 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, which places him in the top 7% of midfielders and makes 7.46 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 14%.

Standing at 6 foot 2 also means that Wieffer is good in the air, and he averages 3.05 aerial duels won per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe. Not only that, the Dutchman’s average aerial duel win rate of 62.2% is among the best in Europe, ranking him in the top 9%.

Whilst he is wonderful out of possession, Wieffer is also a progressive player on the ball. He averages 7.77 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 7%, and 6.77 passes into the final third per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 8%.

Having a ball-winner in the centre of midfield who can then progress play forwards would certainly be a breath of fresh air for United since it is something that Casmeiro can struggle with at times. Whilst the Brazilian can be effective as a ball-winner, he averages just 6.02 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the bottom 24%, as per Fbref.

Another post by H over on X explains how Wieffer and Mainoo would “thrive” together in midfield. Indeed, Mainoo is certainly not best utilised as a sitting midfielder, but as someone who has a licence to get forward and impact the game in the final third, as shown by his two goals this season. Having Wieffer sitting in front of the back four, spraying passes to help kick-start United’s attack gives Mainoo that aforementioned licence to get forward.

The 19-year-old is a super ball carrier, which compliments the skillset of Wieffer excellently. In fact, Mainoo averages 2.43 attempted take-ons per 90 minutes and 1.27 successful take-ons per 90 minutes, which, as per Fbref, ranks him in the top 14% of midfielders in Europe this season.

There is little doubt that Mainoo and Wieffer would come together to make a hugely complimentary midfield pairing for United. They are both progressive players in possession, and both good ball-winners, although Wieffer’s ability to screen the defence allows Mainoo to get forward and impact the game in the final third.

Not only that, they have age on their side. Mainoo is just 19, and Wieffer is just 24. In theory, they could be lining up together in United’s midfield for the next decade, a mouth-watering prospect for United fans.

INEOS can seal Man Utd masterclass with "extraordinary" Casemiro upgrade

The talented midfielder could solve one of Erik ten Hag’s biggest problems.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 4, 2024

This is a deal that certainly makes sense for the Red Devils to get over the line. Whilst Wieffer’s price is unclear at the moment, it seems a very smart investment and will massively improve their team both in possession and out of possession, whilst also bringing the best out of Mainoo.

Top-scoring for his team and claiming a wicket with his fourth ball, young import makes impressive start

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2020Curtis Campher marked his senior international debut with an accomplished all-round performance that would have allowed even a far more seasoned campaigner to hold his head high.Top-scoring as Ireland’s last man standing with an unbeaten 59 then claiming a wicket with just his fourth ball in ODIs, 21-year-old Campher would not change much – except the result and perhaps adding the noise of a crowd.”I loved it,” Campher told Sky Sports after England comfortably won the first of three ODIs behind closed doors at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday. “You can’t ask for a better debut in my eyes. Maybe one or two things could have gone differently but, for me, really it was just taking the moment.”All the guys spoke to me, and just said, ‘just enjoy your debut and relish the challenge’.”ALSO READ: Willey enjoys five-star return after ‘rollercoaster’ England rideCampher’s only previous List A game was for Ireland Wolves against Namibia in February but captain Andy Balibirnie was comfortable throwing him into the action after he had impressed in the nets. His 59 not out was the second-highest by an Irish ODI debutant, behind the man leading the opposition, Eoin Morgan.”I thought it was very impressive for a guy who’s not even played a game in Ireland yet to come in as a 21-year-old and put in a performance like that,” Balbirnie said. “It was sort of an old-school knock, but it was exactly what we needed – we needed someone to occupy the crease and adapt to conditions, which as top-five batters we weren’t able to do.”It was as good a debut as I’ve seen in an Irish shirt in the last number of years, and it’s a huge positive to take. He’s only 21 and hopefully he can get better from today.”While the flag Campher was flying was perhaps not the one he had originally envisaged, having switched allegience from South Africa – whom he represented at Under-19 level – on the basis of his mother’s Irish passport, he has slotted into his new team comfortably.”It’s been the easiest thing to walk into this environment and everyone’s been welcoming and just been so good to me,” Campher added. “Having the backing of all the players, the captain and all the support staff has just been a dream really.”Campher came in with Ireland in dire trouble at 28 for 5 and saw off David Willey’s hat-trick ball. He shared a 51-run stand with 134-match veteran Kevin O’Brien and managed to pull Ireland up to a more respectable 172 with a patient innings lasting 118 balls and the best part of three hours before he ran out of partners.Curtis Campher celebrates reaching fifty•Getty Images

“It was a bit weird facing guys with no crowd,” Campher said. “I just tried to stay focused for as long periods as possible. Kev was just amazing to me, mentoring me and taking me through it.”It’s been an amazing journey so far and hopefully it’s the start of something good.”Ireland’s task of defending a relatively modest target against the world champion side, albeit with a few new faces on board, hit a snag early when Barry McCarthy limped off with a knee injury just five balls into England’s innings.But they managed to make inroads thanks to Craig Young and Andy McBrine as England’s top order of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and James Vince fell cheaply.England promoted Tom Banton and Sam Billings up the order and it was Campher who struck to remove No. 4 Banton, not for the first time.In a youth ODI for South Africa U19s in 2018, Campher dismissed Banton lbw for 9. During their latest encounter, Banton wafted at a short ball and top-edged to Lorcan Tucker behind the stumps for 11 – but Campher played down the symmetry.”I think sometimes it’s just how it goes to be honest,” he said. “Just happy to to be doing something for for the side and contributing.”It was good to get a bowl. I didn’t think it would be that soon. Sadly Baz got injured but for me it’s just keeping it simple and trying to restrict. Happy to do a job for the captain today.”

The offspinner ended her international career late last year after being dropped by England

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Aug-2020

Laura Marsh celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Former England allrounder Laura Marsh has announced her retirement from all forms of cricket.Marsh, 33, called an end to her international career late last year after being left out of the England squad and has now cited the postponed launch of the Hundred as one of the key reasons behind her full retirement. She had been due to play for Oval Invincibles in the new format but the Covid-19 pandemic forced the ECB to move the opening season to 2021.”I have made the decision to retire from all forms of cricket. With the cancellation of The Hundred competition this year, I feel that it is the right time to hang up the boots,” Marsh wrote on Twitter. “I want to say a huge thank you to all the teams and organisations I have represented over the years.”I owe a huge amount to both Kent & Sussex for the role they played in my development as a player.”Big thanks also to The Surrey Stars, Sydney Sixers, NSW Breakers and Otago Sparks. Every team I played for developed me as a player and a person and I am fortunate to have made some lifelong friends and memories over the years.”

A visit by the Australia Women’s team is also in the early stages of planning

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2020New Zealand are set for a full programme of international cricket during their summer with men’s tours by West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh while a visit by the Australia Women’s team is also in the early stages of planning for the gap created by the postponed ODI World Cup in February.NZC are currently working with the government on the biosecurity measures that will need to be in place for the touring teams with visitors to the country currently required to isolate for 14 days on arrival.David White, the NZC CEO, said they are looking at a model similar to that used by the ECB during their ongoing season, which was the first international cricket to resume amid the Covid-19 pandemic.”We are making tremendous progress. I was just on the phone to the West Indies, they’re confirmed, Pakistan is confirmed, Australia and Bangladesh… so 37 days of international cricket,” White told reporters in Auckland.”The White Ferns will tour Australia in September and then the Australia Women’s team will tour New Zealand in February. We are just working through the content but probably five ODIs and three T20Is.”We’ll just be held up for a week or two while we work with the government agencies on the managed isolation but they’ve been extremely supportive.”Under the current Future Tours programme, West Indies and Pakistan were down to visit for Tests and T20Is with Bangladesh slated for ODIs and T20Is and then Australia for T20Is, although the final structure of the seasons remains to be confirmed given the postponement of the Men’s T20 World Cup. The Tests against West Indies and Pakistan are part of the World Test Championship.The last time the men’s team was in action was in the behind-closed-doors ODI against Australia at the SCG in mid-March shortly before that tour was called off with New Zealand needing to get home before the borders were closed.The women’s team are set to be the first back on the field with their trip to Australia in late September that includes three T20Is and three ODIs.The Women’s ODI World Cup, which was due to be staged in February and March next year, was postponed by 12 months earlier this week when it was decided that there would not be sufficient time for teams to qualify and prepare for the tournament.New Zealand has been one of the most successful countries in combatting Covid-19 and recently marked 100 days without community transmission, but things have changed a little bit since then. On Tuesday, local media said four fresh cases of community transmission had been reported in the country, and Auckland would move to Alert Level 3 from Wednesday, with the rest of the country moving to Alert Level 2*.White was speaking as NZC confirmed a new deal for radio coverage of cricket in New Zealand with MediaWorks Radio. Earlier this year, previous rights holders NZME confirmed they would not be extending their broadcast deal with commentary on Radio Sport, a station which has now been taken off the air.*

Craig McMillan has said that in his new role as Bangladesh’s batting consultant he would look to build relationships with the players rather than making wholesale changes. McMillan, who was appointed on Bangladesh’s support staff last week for the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, will be joining the squad next month during the tour’s preparatory phase.McMillan, who was New Zealand’s batting coach for five years until the 2019 World Cup, said that he would focus on helping batsmen make good decisions for longer periods to bring them success in Tests.”One of the first things that I have to do is develop a relationship with the players,” McMillan told ESPNcricinfo. “I am really looking forward to doing that. I know a few players through New Zealand playing against Bangladesh but not that well. I certainly won’t be coming in and changing any techniques. It won’t be the first thing I do. It will be more about just adding little things to their game plans, and adding those things that will bring success.”I certainly believe that quality Test match batting is about having a solid defence first and foremost, one that you trust and believe in, and then the ability to make good decisions for a long period of time. So if you can do that, you can get in the battle with the bowler and playing the right shots at the right time is key to being successful in Test match cricket.”McMillan said that Bangladesh’s three-week training camp, likely to start in Colombo at the end of September, is necessary given the large amount of time that the players had been out of action due to the pandemic. He said that playing a three-match Test series, Bangladesh’s first in six years, is going to be a “great opportunity” for the team.”It has been a quiet time in cricket being played all over the world, so it is exciting to have a tour coming up,” he said. “Three Test matches is a great opportunity for the Bangladesh side.”I think it’s an excellent idea by the BCB to have a good three-week preparation getting into that [first] Test match. So much downtime and not a lot of cricket being played in the last six or seven months, I think the preparation is going to be important heading into the Sri Lanka series.”McMillan said that Russell Domingo, Bangladesh’s head coach, called him up about the role, and after a bit of thought, he decided to take up the position. He is, however, going to be available only for the Sri Lanka tour, and he said that anything beyond that will require further discussion.”It caught me a little bit by surprise,” McMillan recalled. “I got a call from Russell Domingo, and after I had a week to think about it, I was excited by and looking forward to the challenge. It was one of those things that I wasn’t expecting throughout these times. There isn’t a lot of cricket being played at the moment but once the opportunity came, I decided to take it. I am really excited to be working with the team and coaching staff.”I am not looking any further than the Sri Lanka tour at the moment. I am really looking forward to working with the players, finding out what makes them tick and developing relationships with them. I think it will be key.”I am also excited to be working alongside Russell Domingo who is vastly experienced, and other coaching staff. We will see how this tour goes and then have further discussions and see where it leads.”

After a decade-plus of mediocre squads and disappointing campaigns, Arsenal are finally back among the big boys in the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta's side came close to winning the title last season and are firmly in the hunt again this year.

The Spaniard has built an imposing squad over the last few years, and a flurry of contract extensions over the last 12 months means they're likely to compete for the foreseeable future.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is the most recent star to commit his future to the club, and while this is great news for him, it could be terrible news for one of his teammates.

Takehiro Tomiyasu's new contract

Arsenal completed the £20m signing of Tomiyasu from Serie A side Bologna in September 2021 to replace the outgoing Hector Bellerin and provide some extra cover at centre-back to boot.

Position

Appearances

Right-back

46

Left-Back

17

Centre-Back

1

It was clear what Arteta had in mind for the then-22-year-old, as when speaking to the media after his signing, he described him as "a versatile defender with great defensive qualities, high technical ability and composure on the ball."

In his first season with the club, the Japanese defender made 22 appearances, 19 of which came at right-back and the other two at left-back. Had he not suffered a calf injury in February, he would have certainly made more.

The 2022/23 campaign saw the 6 foot 2 titan make 31 appearances, five of them at left-back. This season, the 25-year-old has made 20 appearances, ten of them on the left side of defence.

The Fukuoka-born star might not be the first name on Arsenal's teamsheet, but his versatility, stature, and defensive nous have made him a vital cog in Arteta's machine.

To reflect his importance to the squad, he was rewarded with a new deal earlier this week that'll see him remain in N5 until summer 2026,

Speaking about his extended terms, the full-back stated: "I’m playing for Arsenal and this means I’m playing for Arsenal’s supporters. So that’s why I dedicate my life for this club, and for the supporters. I want to give them something back.”

The Arsenal player who will suffer after Tomiyasu's new deal

As fans celebrate the extension to Tomiyasu's deal – and they should – it might be easy to forget that Arsenal still have another full-back out on loan in Kieran Tierney, who's arguably the only dedicated, out-and-out left-back at the club.

The Scotland international joined the Gunners for around £25m in August 2019 and, over the course of the next four seasons, made 124 appearances, in which he scored five goals and provided 14 assists, playing as a traditional full-back, bombing up and down the byline and whipping in pinpoint crosses.

Despite generally performing well for the club, the Douglas-born ace was incredibly unlucky with injuries and missed 51 games in those four campaigns. However, by last season, he had lost his place in the starting XI to Oleksandr Zinchenko, who better fit Arteta's playing philosophy.

With just 15 starts to his name in 2022/23, the 39-capped international joined La Liga side Real Sociedad on loan this year for more regular football.

2019/20

Arsenal

24 (20)

19

5

2020/21

Arsenal

38 (32)

19

7

2021/22

Arsenal

25 (24)

13

5

2022/23

Arsenal

36 (15)

0

3

2023/24

Sociedad

20 (14)

15

2

However, as things stand, he has started just 14 games for the Basque outfit and has spent two periods on the sidelines with two hamstring problems, missing 15 games, suggesting his injury-riddled days are not yet behind him.

There is a chance the 26-year-old could be reintroduced back into the squad next season. However, with Zinchenko still at the club, Jurrien Timber's arrival in the summer, Jakub Kiwior's fine form, and Tomiyasu's recent contract extension, he would likely come in as fifth choice, which would be absurd for a player on £110k-per-week.

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Therefore, while he has been a popular player for much of his time at the club thanks to his no-nonsense style of play, Arsenal should be looking to move him on in the summer, even if they can only fetch the €10m – £9m – that the CIES Football Observatory values him at. Sadly, it looks as if the Scot has donned the famous red and white for the final time.

Mikel Merino has been left out of the Real Sociedad squad for their opening La Liga match of the season, suggesting a move to Arsenal is almost done.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Arsenal and Sociedad in talks over Merino deal
• Midfielder left out of squad for La Liga clash
• Has already agreed personal terms with Gunners

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It was reported on Friday that the Gunners are close to an agreement with the Basque club over a £29.8 million ($39m) transfer fee for the midfielder. With Sociedad set to take on Rayo Vallecano on Sunday in their first match of the new campaign, they have left the Spain international out of the squad.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With no news of any fitness issues keeping him out, the latest development has been taken as confirmation that the 28-year-old will soon be confirmed as a new addition to Mikel Arteta's squad, as it has been reported that he has already come to a personal agreement with the north London club.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The Premier League side were not the only team interested in signing Merino this summer. Barcelona had been linked with him as Hansi Flick hoped to strengthen in midfield ahead of his debut season at the Catalan club, but he has since ruled out any new arrivals.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MERINO?

  Arsenal will kick off their Premier League season with a game at home against Wolves on Saturday. In the days afterwards, they are expected to confirm the signing of Merino.

Celtic turn their attention back to the Scottish Premiership this weekend as they prepare to host fourth-placed Kilmarnock at Parkhead this afternoon.

The Hoops had their lead at the top of the table cut down to just goal difference during the week as their rivals moved level on points with them, with the same number of games played.

There is no getting away from the fact that Brendan Rodgers' side are very much in a title race and that makes every single match vitally important in their bid to win the league.

The Bhoys ran out 2-0 winners against St Mirren last time out in the SFA Cup, to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the competition, thanks to goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda.

Away from the attack, Rodgers could improve his side by moving Stephen Welsh, who started that match, out of the way for Gustaf Lagerbielke to finally be unleashed from the start.

Stephen Welsh's form this season

The 24-year-old defender only featured in four Premiership matches under Ange Postecoglou throughout the 2022/23 campaign but has already played five under the Northern Irish boss this term.

He has been a fairly unimpressive performer at the heart of the Hoops defence with his inaction defensively and lack of strength in physical duels.

Appearances

Five

Tackles per game

0.0

Interceptions per game

0.2

Ground duel success rate

25%

Sofascore rating

6.74

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Scottish defender has not stepped in to cut out many opposition attacks and has been dominated by attackers on the deck across his five league appearances for the club.

17 Celtic players have averaged more interceptions per game than Welsh, whilst 27 players within the squad have made at least one tackle for the team.

The 24-year-old enforcer started the club's last Premiership match against Hibernian and failed to impress. He lost five of his eight duels and did not make a single clearance, interception, block, or tackle throughout his 66 minutes on the pitch.

These statistics suggest that the academy graduate, who has made 66 competitive appearances for the first-team, did not do much to help his side out defensively, which is why Rodgers should be open to ditching him from the XI.

Why Lagerbielke should finally be unleashed

The Sweden international was signed from Elfsborg last summer on a permanent basis but has not been provided with many opportunities to showcase his quality this season.

Despite his lack of action on the pitch, the young defender's value on FootballTransfers has soared by 650% during his time at Parkhead and Rodgers could unearth a new star by bringing him into the side on a regular basis, particularly ahead of Welsh.

His last Premiership appearance came at the start of January and his last start in the division came against Motherwell back in September 2023.

The 23-year-old has made six appearances in the league, including four starts, for the Hoops this season and Celtic have not conceded a single goal in his 403 minutes on the pitch, with the only goal let in during those six games coming after he was substituted against Motherwell.

You could try to argue that this is a coincidence, given the limited number of matches, but his individual statistics suggest that he played a significant role in that defensive success in those six clashes.

Appearances

Six

Tackles per game

1.8

Interceptions per game

0.2

Ball recoveries per game

5.7

Clearances per game

3.3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 6 foot 4 titan was far more active defensively in his appearances for Celtic in the Premiership earlier this season than Welsh has been for the Hoops.

The Scottish defender has averaged 2.6 ball recoveries and 1.2 clearances per match to go along with his aforementioned 0.2 tackles and interceptions combined per outing.

This suggests that Lagerbielke has the ability to cut out and clear opposition attacks far more frequently each match on average than the Bhoys academy graduate.

The "hungry", as he was described by Rodgers, colossus has also won an outstanding 87% of his ground duels in the Premiership this season, which is a higher success rate than any other centre-back in the squad has managed this term.

It is also staggeringly better than Welsh's poor ground duel success rate of 25% and suggests that Lagerbielke would come in as a big upgrade on the 24-year-old dud, both in terms of his physical and defensive attributes.

This is why Rodgers must finally unleash him from the start for the first time in 2024 as he could offer more to the team than the Scottish lightweight has.

Liam Scales' emergence this season

Lagerbielke is a right-footed defender who could complement the left-foot of Scales in possession to ensure that Celtic are balanced when they play out from the back.

The Ireland international, who spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Aberdeen, has emerged as a regular starter for the Scottish giants this season, with 23 league starts to his name so far.

He has been a dominant figure at the heart of the Hoops defence with a duel success rate of 65% across those 23 matches – winning 70% of his ground battles and 63% of his aerial contests.

This shows that, like Lagerbielke, Scales has the positioning and the physicality to dominate opposition attackers on the deck and in the air, whereas Welsh has been dominated by forwards in ground duels.

The 25-year-old enforcer has also made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per match for Celtic in the Premiership this season, which is more than Welsh and Lagerbielke combined.

Sofascore rating

7.9

Duels contested

Ten

Duels won

Eight

Clearances

Four

Blocks

Two

Stats via Sofascore

Scales, who has completed 88% of his attempted passes in the Premiership, was also outstanding against Hibernian last time out in the top-flight, as shown in the table above.

He won 80% of his duels and made six combined clearances and blocks to keep Hibs from troubling Joe Hart's goal prior to Adam Idah's stoppage time winner from the penalty spot.

Rodgers must now unleash Lagerbielke and Scales as a pairing against Kilmarnock this afternoon as they could form a dominant partnership moving forward based on their respective performances this season.

Paul Stirling, the Ireland top-order batsman, has joined Northamptonshire for part of the T20 Blast as an overseas player, despite the fact he is a British passport-holder and was born in Belfast.He will provide cover for Kieron Pollard, who will play eight games for Northants in the middle of their campaign, filling the club’s second overseas slot. Faheem Ashraf, the Pakistan allrounder, is the primary overseas player, and will be available until the end of the Blast’s group stages.ALSO READ: Stirling to leave Middlesex after committing to IrelandStirling has become the second Ireland player to sign a contract in county cricket as an overseas player, after Boyd Rankin’s brief stint at Derbyshire last season.An ECB rule change meant that Irishmen, who had previously qualified as local players in county cricket, would no longer be able to play as non-overseas players following Ireland’s ascent to Test status in 2017. Those who already held county deals were given a grace period which ran until the end of the 2019 season.Rankin’s deal last year was the first overseas contract signed by an Ireland international – he was a new registration, so did not fall under the grace period – while Stuart Poynter and Tim Murtagh have both ended their international careers in order to extend their stays at Durham and Middlesex respectively.But with a view to extending his international career, Stirling left Middlesex in September, telling the that he found his situation “baffling”, but that he had no intentions to challenge the ruling legally.”The powers that be have made the decision to change the regulations but I can see it is a strange scenario when you are born British and have entitlement to work as a local in your own country, so I can see why it could be challenged and it would be interesting to see how far it would go if someone did challenge it,” Stirling said.”It is an ECB rule and I can understand it. Cricket Ireland have Test status and if you want to play Test cricket for Ireland then why should the ECB let someone play in their local tournaments if they are not looking to play for England?”I get it from their point of view but it is slightly more complicated than that in our case. Middlesex has been my home for so long so it does feel baffling to have to go but hopefully I will be able to play in some capacity in the future.”David Ripley, Northants’ head coach, said: “Paul brings great experience, skill, and firepower to our line-up. He has a reputation as a great team man and we are looking forward to welcoming him into our dressing room.”He’ll dovetail with Pollard and be available down the road should we qualify for the quarters and beyond. A special thanks to Cricket Ireland for their assistance in allowing Paul to play a role for us.””I’m thrilled to be playing for the Steelbacks in this year’s Blast, “Stirling said. “It’s a good wicket and the boundaries are small so I’m excited to entertain the people of Northampton.”I know a few of the guys very well and in Rosso [Adam Rossington] and Cobby [Josh Cobb] they have good leaders as captains at the club. I would like to thank David Ripley for showing faith in me and I’m hoping we can win the trophy come September.”