The Northern Territory aims to bring Australia back for winter cricket

AAP21-Aug-2024

Darwin last hosted international cricket when Australia played Bangladesh in 2008•Getty Images

The Northern Territory has set its sights on Australia’s white-ball series against South Africa next winter as their chance to end a 16-year wait for international cricket in Darwin.Darwin hosted the last of its four ODIs in 2008. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka also played Tests in the city in 2003 and 2004.Since then, two drop-in wickets have been installed at the ICC-accredited TIO Stadium and the Top End T20 series launched, as part of the all-year Cricket 365 branding in the Territory.The Top End series last week brought in four Big Bash clubs, Tasmania, the ACT and teams from Pakistan and Bangladesh, with eyes to expand further in the future.Ten past or present Test players attended, including the likes of Jhye Richardson playing for the Perth Scorchers, and Marcus Harris with the Melbourne Renegades.But also on the horizon is international cricket, with Australia slated to host South Africa in three ODIs and three T20Is next August, and negotiations ongoing between the NT government and Cricket Australia.”I want that content. I don’t expect all of it, and I don’t expect any of it, but I want some of it – and I’m going after it,” NT Cricket CEO Gavin Dovey told AAP. “We are putting the foundation in place to be ready. We have the infrastructure and it has had exceptional cricket on it [with the Top End series].”It’s not the Big Bash or international cricket, but we have shown we have that calibre of players playing on these wickets. We have the venue and it is ICC-accredited – and we have the weather.”Dovey spent time holding a national team training camp in Darwin in his former life as Australia’s men’s team manager, before taking up the NT role last January.He is keen to make Darwin a consistent option for international fixtures, given only the Territory and North Queensland can host winter matches in Australia and are more likely to be held in the country in 2026.”It makes sense to get some T20s. We’ve never hosted a men’s T20, and there has been over 100 played in Australia,” Dovey said. “I’m not particularly after content every 10 years. I don’t see the legacy in it. Consistent content every year or two would mean kids don’t have to go a decade before they meet their BBL heroes or national heroes.”Dovey’s plan for growth is two-fold, with a desire to expand the Top End series to up to 12 teams, with more Big Bash franchises and overseas sides.Nearly 700,000 people watched this year’s nine-team, 30-match tournament via YouTube, while that number sat at 10.6 million last year once overseas broadcasters were included.Dovey is hopeful of adding teams from New Zealand and Nepal next year, along with the big lure of appealing to IPL franchises.”It’s in an August window where no one else can play. The wickets wouldn’t be like ours with the weather [elsewhere],” he  said. “It’s an incredible window to the subcontinent, where you can’t play easily this time of year either.  The event is awesome and has a point of difference with the international teams.”

In what would be their signing of the summer so far, Everton have reportedly launched an opening offer to welcome a midfield star ahead of Premier League rivals.

Latest on Everton's potential incomings

After already signing Thierno Barry and Mark Travers whilst also welcoming Carlos Alcaraz on a permanent deal following a successful loan spell, Everton have now reportedly turned towards fresh targets. The Friedkin Group, clearly out to make a statement in their first summer at the helm, have also reportedly set their sights on the likes of Samuel Lino from Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey.

Ramsey would particularly be one to watch if he arrived at The Hill Dickinson Stadium ahead of next season, but it remains to be seen whether Everton can win the race for his signature. Despite his clear talent, the midfielder is likely to be an affordable option amid Aston Villa’s PSR problems – allowing the Toffees to come swooping in.

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Going forward, Ramsey would be a particular upgrade on James Garner in the middle of David Moyes’ side. At just 24 years old too, the Aston Villa man is about to enter his prime years, making now the best time to move in for his signature.

That said, it’s not just Ramsey that the Toffees have set their sights on. Midfield seems to be the area of focus currently and names such as Tomas Soucek has also been mentioned as a result.

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Reports have even gone as far as to suggest that Everton are set to submit an imminent £12m bid to sign the West Ham United star and hand Moyes a reunion with the midfielder.

The same, meanwhile, can be said about another transfer target, with Everton now reportedly launching their opening offer for his signature.

Everton launch first Douglas Luiz offer

According to TeamTalk, Everton have launched an opening offer to sign Douglas Luiz from Juventus in a loan-to-buy deal. The Brazilian is reportedly open to a return to the Premier League just one year on from his decision to swap Aston Villa for Turin. And as Juventus look to show him the door, it’s the Toffees who are primed to take full advantage.

The midfielder would be an impressive coup, given his Premier League experience and reports that former club Aston Villa are interested in a swift reunion this summer.

Juventus are reportedly hoping for a package worth €35m (£30m) for Luiz this summer, but it remains to be seen whether Everton’s opening offer has reached that price.

Even after struggling in Serie A though, there’s no doubt that the Brazilian would be worth splashing out on. Aston Villa sporting director, Monchi, has been one of many to share praise for Luiz in recent years – telling reporters last season: “He’s playing less than we all expected, but we’re talking about a strong player.”

It’s been an unsettling summer for Aston Villa supporters far and wide as they feared their successful Premier League side was in danger of being completely dismantled.

To comply with PSR rules, a whole load of sales might have had to be signed off on, as Emiliano Martinez continues to be linked with a switch to Premier League rivals Manchester United or Chelsea to give Villa a healthy £45m injection of cash.

However, a new breaking development seems to indicate that Villa will be able to get around these stringent PSR rules after all by selling their women’s team, with such a loophole allowing for any PSR anxiety to be forgotten about.

With this dire situation now presumably fixed at the final hour, Unai Emery’s men could push on in the transfer market to land a couple of statement deals, as a few faces here and there begin to be steadily linked with a switch to Villa Park.

Aston Villa's transfer situation

Understandably, most of the conversation involving Villa this off-season has involved the likes of Ollie Watkins being lined up for major moves away, with all the worry surrounding PSR getting to the Villans.

Now, however, the mood will be more relaxed, with Villa ready to explore several new targets. Already, they have been unsuccessful in landing Jesus Rodriguez from Real Betis though, as a deal heartbreakingly collapsed.

Still, that won’t have completely knocked them, with Lucas Chevalier one name reportedly on their shopping list if Martinez does still exit the West Midlands outfit.

On top of that, a fresh name in the form of Gabriel Sara has now begun to be linked with a move to England, with a report from Turkish outlet Hurriyet, via Sport Witness, indicating that a £17m bid has been put forward to Galatasaray by Villa for their creative Brazilian.

This has since been knocked back with Galatasaray wanting at least £34m for their midfield star, who is also a wanted man by Manchester City, Manchester United, and Leeds United.

Villa will hope they come out on top to land his coveted signature, with the ex-Norwich City ace already a hit in England when on the books of the Canaries, meaning he might well be Villa’s next Youri Tielemans if he were to join the building soon.

How Sara could be Villa's next Tielemans

After all, Tielemans used to be on the books of Leicester City before advancing his game even more when donning Villa claret and blue.

By the end of the entertaining 2024/25 campaign for Villa, Tielemans was arguably the club’s player of the season having tallied up 15 goals and assists in all competitions, with five of those goal contributions coming about on the grandest stage of them all in the Champions League.

The 77-time Belgium international would also amass a hefty 54 goal contributions during his entire Foxes stay, with Villa now feeling smug with themselves that they won Tieleman’s services on a free transfer basis in the summer of 2023.

Whilst Sara would cost a lavish £34m to obtain, he might well come in and become as instrumental to Villa’s midfield as Tielemans now is, having picked up ten assists and two goals last season for his current Turkish employers, away from already being well-versed in the high demands of the English game when situated in Norfolk.

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Whilst the Brazilian would never guide Norwich up to the Premier League during his celebrated stay, he certainly still left an impression on the Carrow Road masses with classy display after classy display, as seen in his bumper total of 54 combined goals and assists from 96 contests, which is eerily the exact same amount Tielemans tallied up at the King Power Stadium.

He has since tasted success in a top division in Turkey too, with U23 scout Antonio Mango even going out of his way to herald the midfield ace as “incredible.”

With nine Europa League games under his belt last season too, he could be a worthwhile buy for Villa for this alone as they enter into the competition next campaign, with a hope in the air also that he’s their next favourite from the middle of the park like Tielemans.

Aston Villa tell agents they're ready to sell Emery favourite in next 2 days

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Celtic have plenty of new arrivals in their sights and are said to be plotting a move for a Premier League midfielder to bolster their engine room, according to reports.

Celtic look to bring in new recruits after Hayato Inamura

Hayato Inamura has flown to the UK to join Celtic and will sign on the dotted line for £250,000 after Albirex Niigata confirmed his exit, making him the Bhoys’ fifth signing of the summer after Kieran Tierney, Benjamin Nygren, Callum Osmand and Ross Doohan.

Despite the Bhoys’ hunt for a central defender, pundit Roger Hannah believes Inamura could head out on loan to gain experience rather than sticking around to cut his teeth at Parkhead.

He stated: “I don’t think Inamura will see the first team next season. I think the plan might be to either loan him straight back to his club in Japan or loan him to a European league.”

“It would be a huge leap for the lad to go from the level he has been playing at and straight into the Celtic first team. I think it’s too big a leap.”

Either way, Celtic have set their sights on further signings after the 23-year-old, and the Hoops could bring in Cathal O’Sullivan from Cork City despite interest from Brentford and Preston North End in his services.

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Dan Emery

Jul 3, 2025

Keita Kosugi has also been mooted as a potential Celtic signing amid interest from the Scottish Premiership champions in the Djurgardens full-back, though it remains to be seen if they can push a deal over the line.

Now, a new name has come to the fore in their search for talent, and he may pique the attention of supporters due to his recent accomplishments.

Celtic prepare bid for Tyler Morton

According to reports, Celtic are preparing an offer for Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton, who is said to be valued at around £15 million by the reigning Premier League champions.

Rodgers is an admirer of the 22-year-old and has extensive knowledge of his talents due to his connections with the Anfield club, where Morton was a youngster in the academy when the Hoops boss was in charge.

It is said that he could leave Merseyside in search of regular first-team football following the arrival of Florian Wirtz.

Tyler Morton’s senior appearances at Liverpool
Appearances	14
Goals	0
Assists	1

West Ham United, Braga, Ajax and Club Brugge are also interested in the holding midfielder, and suitors are only likely to grow due to his role in England Under-21’s claiming European Championship glory under Lee Carsley.

Labelled a “quality” player by Reds boss Arne Slot, AXA Training Centre graduate Morton maintained an 87.6% pass success rate at the tournament and could provide an adequate alternative to Callum McGregor in the six position.

Celtic’s club captain isn’t getting any younger, so it makes sense for Rodgers to put a succession plan in place to provide strength in depth for the long-term.

In a move that would instantly replace Mohammed Kudus, West Ham United are now reportedly in contact to sign a Premier League-winning attacker who Graham Potter wants at the London Stadium.

Potter "very pleased" to sign Diouf

It may have taken the sale of Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur for them to get going on the transfer front, but get going West Ham have. The Hammers announced the arrival of El Hadji Malick Diouf to welcome their first big signing of the summer and Potter instantly expressed his delight.

Now that they’ve got going with their spending, West Ham may not stop there. Reports are now indicating that those at the London Stadium have made their first move to sign the £300,000-a-week attacker on loan.

West Ham make contact to sign Grealish

According to The Boot Room’s Graeme Bailey, West Ham have now made their first approach to sign Jack Grealish, who has been shown the door at Manchester City this summer. Potter is reportedly a fan of the £300,000-a-week international and the Hammers could yet welcome his arrival in what would be an excellent addition.

West Ham have experienced Grealish’s quality first-hand more times than they’ll care to admit and the London Stadium even saw him find the back of the net for Man City in a frantic 2-2 in the 2021/22 campaign.

Although Grealish has struggled in the last 12 months at Manchester City, he is still very much a player capable of making all the difference when at his best.

Even as he has continued to fall down the pecking order at The Etihad, Pep Guardiola has been full of praise for the West Ham target. The Spaniard previously told reporters last season: “I’m pleased for Jack.

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“Jack has the sense of the street, a player from the street. Most of the players, for our fault – the manager – are so academic. Jack is one of those players that came to fight in these stadiums when the people shout; he is a fighter.”

Shift of venue from Bangladesh to UAE presents unique challenge

Matt Roller29-Aug-2024England are anticipating empty stadiums at October’s Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, but believe that their upcoming training camp in Abu Dhabi will mitigate the impact of the late change in venue from Bangladesh to Dubai and Sharjah.The ICC confirmed last week that the tournament will no longer be played in Bangladesh after weeks of civil unrest which prompted the prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. England’s squad did not change as a result of the shift but they are expecting a difference in conditions in the UAE – not least off the field, with attendances likely to be low.”It’s going to be a bit different,” Heather Knight, England’s captain, said. “There definitely would’ve been bigger crowds in Bangladesh, having played there in 2014 in the World Cup. We actually got some really good crowds, particularly in Sylhet… It’s become the norm for us to have people around. It is something we’ll talk about, but it’s a World Cup: it shouldn’t take too much to get up for that.”Related

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Kemp, Heath in England's T20 World Cup squad but Filer misses out

England will play their first three fixtures at Sharjah Cricket Stadium (16,000 capacity) and their final group match at Dubai International Stadium (25,000). Neither venue managed to attract big crowds for games which did not involve India or Pakistan during the men’s T20 World Cup in 2021, nor do they regularly stage women’s international cricket.”Some people thrive off the noise and the energy from the crowd, so [it’s about] making sure, individually, that everyone is prepared for potentially what we’re going to get. I don’t think, suddenly, there’s going to be a big rent-a-crowd. But it is what it is, and obviously safety and things like that are probably the most important things,” Knight said.While England have spent the past 18 months planning for a tournament in Bangladesh, doubling down on a spin-heavy strategy, Knight backed the ICC’s decision to shift the venue. “It’s obviously a shame for the Bangladesh team that they’re not going to have a home World Cup,” she said. “But I think it’s probably the right decision… the conditions will be slightly different, but not hugely.”England will arrive in Abu Dhabi on September 13, three weeks before their opening World Cup match, for a training camp. “[That is] the bit that’s a big advantage for us,” Jon Lewis, their head coach, said. “We’ve asked them to prepare wickets that are similar to what you would expect in the two stadiums, so by the time we get to the tournament itself, we think we’ll be really ready.”Dubai and Sharjah have only sporadically hosted women’s T20Is: Sharjah has staged 10 – most recently in 2017 – and Dubai only five, all between UAE and Namibia a year ago. It means that England are relying on data from men’s matches in their preparation, and are wary of going into the World Cup with too many preconceived ideas about conditions.”There’s obviously not been a huge amount of women’s cricket there, so you’re going off men’s stats,” Knight said. Lewis expects the toss to play a major role in floodlit games, as in the men’s T20 World Cup three years ago: “It will be a factor,” he said. “There are some subtle differences in terms of the wickets in Sharjah and the stadium in Dubai.”Lewis and Knight confirmed that England would have selected the same squad even if the tournament had stayed in Bangladesh, and played down concerns that they are one seamer light. “I don’t feel like we are,” Lewis said. “The thing that may be trickier for the spin bowlers is gripping the ball with some dew… but we do know that spin is really effective in the women’s game in general.”Lauren Filer was the only player to feature in England’s home T20Is this summer to miss out on selection, though will travel to Abu Dhabi for next month’s training camp. She was edged out by Linsey Smith, the left-arm spinner, who Lewis suggested covered more bases: “In the Powerplay, she’s a really effective bowler, and then she can bowl through the middle and the death.”Knight described Filer as being “really unlucky to miss out” and was impressed by her performances during the Hundred, despite her only taking six wickets in eight matches. “She bowled brilliantly without taking the wickets that she deserved,” Knight said. “But the squad we’ve picked gives us the most flexibility around potential conditions that we might face.”

Enzo Maresca handed new Chelsea signing Joao Pedro made his debut today as the west Londoners booked their place in the Club World Cup semi-finals.

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The Brazil international, who brought an end to his £50,000-per-week contract at Brighton, cost Chelsea an initial £55 million to sign, plus a potential £5 million in add-ons.

Making his first appearance for Chelsea, Pedro replaced fellow summer arrival Liam Delap just past the 50-minute mark against Palmeiras to help his new team into the next round of the CWC.

Maresca’s side beat Palmeiras 2-1 in their quarter-final tie at Lincoln Financial Field in the early hours of this morning, local time, with Chelsea now earning a total of around £55 million from their participation in the tournament so far – which has effectively paid for Pedro.

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season	Average match rating
Cole Palmer	7.33
Moises Caicedo	7.02
Enzo Fernández	6.95
Nicolas Jackson	6.88
Noni Madueke	6.82
via WhoScored

If Chelsea go on to win the whole thing, they could end up banking around £90 million (The Mirror), and Pedro is poised to play a key role after being registered on time to be named in their updated CWC squad.

What Joao Pedro is "already" doing in Chelsea training

Speaking on talkSPORT earlier this week, pundit Troy Deeney shared that the 23-year-old has been making quite an impression in training – with Pedro looking to establish himself as a key first-teamer.

Deeney has also tipped the former Watford frontman for stardom, despite his young age, explaining exactly why Pedro is one to watch at Stamford Bridge.

“Joao brings an intensity – he is obviously an exceptional football player,” Deeney said.

“The social media clips Chelsea have put out in training show him throwing his weight around already.

“He’s all or nothing. I think the misconception of him is that he’s a troublemaker. He’s absolutely not that at all. He’s passionate, energetic and he wants to win. He wants to play every minute of every game.

“But I think at Chelsea now you’re going to see the real Joao Pedro, one that enjoys competition and one that believes he should be starting for Brazil.”

Deeney even goes on to tip Pedro for a move to Barcelona or Real Madrid, if he can impress in the next two years.

“I’ve seen this player since he was 18 years old and the mentality has not changed one bit.

“It’s always been, ‘I want to be the best and I want to be the new R9’. Whether he can be that is for everyone to decide. In the short term, it’s all about how he gets there. He’s only 23 years of age.

“I think the business Chelsea have done this summer has been exceptional so far. When you look at the Brazilian national team, it’s not as strong as the teams we’ve seen over the years. I think he’ll look at it and say I can do that [become first-choice striker].

“I’m sure the eight-year contract is more for Chelsea spreading it out over PSR, but if he does well for two years there, Real Madrid and Barcelona will come knocking and Chelsea are a model for buying young, and potentially selling on for a lot more than they paid.”

Aston Villa have reached an agreement over the signing of a “good character” this summer, according to a key update from reliable journalist Jacob Tanswell.

Rumours of McGinn out and Luiz back at Aston Villa

Transfers rumours continue to come thick and fast at Villa Park this summer, with ins and outs expected in the coming weeks leading up to the new Premier League season.

John McGinn has been a wonderful servant for Villa down the years, but the Scottish veteran has been linked with a move away from the club this summer. Everton are thought to be interested in snapping him up, with Unai Emery perhaps feeling that now is the right time to sell the midfielder, with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2027.

In fact, Douglas Luiz has been backed to return to the Midlands for a second stint from Juventus, with the Brazilian potentially coming in as his former teammate’s replacement in the middle of the park, according to some reports. He was an influential figure first time around, and at 27, he still has a huge amount to offer in his career.

It remains to be seen what will happen regarding McGinn and Luiz this summer – some supporters may love the idea of them being back together at Villa Park next season – but away from their respective sagas, another player looks set to be heading to the club.

Aston Villa close to signing 34 y/o "good character"

According to a new update from The Athletic‘s Tanswell on X, Aston Villa have “finalised terms” to complete the signing of veteran Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot, with NSWE and Monchi working their magic.

“AVFC have finalised terms to sign Marco Bizot from Brest. 34yo regarded a good character, with experience & low-cost fee other key factors. Will be GK No 2 – target position filled for Villa & remain in pursuit of defender & winger.”

The signing of Bizot may not feel like the most earth-shattering piece of business that Villa have ever done, given his age and the fact that he is likely coming in as a squad player, but it still feels like a sensible signing for them.

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The Dutchman is a vastly experienced head, making over 300 appearances in Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie combined in his career – 139 in the former and 175 in the latter – as well as winning one cap for the Netherlands.

Tanswell’s description of Bizot as a “good character” certainly bodes well, in terms of him bringing a strong team ethic to the squad, and he can be an influential figure both on and off the pitch.

Big McGinn upgrade: Aston Villa make contact to sign £138k-p/w "engine"

Aston Villa are set to target a new midfielder this summer

ByJoe Nuttall Jul 9, 2025

Villa will no doubt look to secure more expensive signings between now and the end of the summer transfer window, but Robin Olsen’s departure required a new backup goalkeeper and Bizot feels like a good choice to replace him.

Federico Chiesa has not travelled with the Liverpool first team for their pre-season tour in Japan. A minor niggle best treated on Merseyside, so the club say.

But we all know the decision is carried by the undertow of Chiesa’s wretched debut campaign, having been the only man to sign for Arne Slot’s side last summer, arriving from Juventus in a deal worth just £12.5m.

The 27-year-old had just one year remaining on his deal with the Turin side, and FSG sensed an opportunity. Low risk, high reward.

Sadly, the versatile forward’s time on Merseyside has yielded little personal success, though he will leave a Premier League champion, should he depart as expected.

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Injuries and Slot’s unwillingness to hand him minutes don’t detract from the fact that a replacement might be needed, especially since Luis Diaz is the subject of Bayern Munich’s vested interest, with a £58.5m bid already knocked back.

How Liverpool are replacing Federico Chiesa

In a sense, Liverpool have already replaced Chiesa, for they have signed Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen for about £30m. The right-sider is a defender and forward both, with the athleticism and monstrous attacking qualities to provide cover for Mohamed Salah.

Replacing Chiesa comes less from a strictly positional standpoint than the addition of one or two signings who can complete Liverpool’s frontline.

With Florian Wirtz signed for a British record £116m fee, steps have already been taken in this regard. More of a playmaker, the German is nonetheless one of the most dangerous attacking players on the globe.

And Hugo Ekitike is in the process of completing his medical before sealing his move to Anfield. Liverpool agreed a £79m total package with Eintracht Frankfurt for the 23-year-old striker.

However, if Diaz is sold, Liverpool would need a new winger, one preferably who could provide support both on the left and on the right.

Liverpool in the race for Premier League winger

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool have retained an interest in Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon after being offered the chance to sign the England winger last summer.

Gordon, 24, has been shortlisted along with Lyon prospect Malick Fofana and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo as FSG prepare for Diaz’s potential departure.

However, Gordon’s affiliation with Liverpool (who he supported as a child and played for as an academy member until he was 11) and his Premier League experiences could see a bid placed for him.

The Magpies are looking to bank as much as £100m, and Arsenal are also interested.

Why Liverpool want Anthony Gordon

Gordon might have been of an Everton persuasion in the past, but Liverpool would hit the jackpot by reeling him back over to Merseyside as a Red.

Fast, furious and threatening with a variety of instruments, Gordon has established himself as a real menace, notching 36 goal involvements across the past two Premier League seasons and winning Newcastle’s Player of the Year award for 2023/24.

Not just a sharp attacking presence, Gordon also gets stuck in and contributes across the park. As per Sofascore, he averaged 1.5 key passes and 4.4 successful duels per game last term, thus illustrating his combativeness and crispness on the ball.

And given that he would be a direct Diaz replacement, it’s only fitting that he should be positionally fluid. In this way, he could in fact cover Chiesa’s position when called upon, also capable of moonlighting as a centre-forward, like Diaz did so expertly last year.

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Gordon’s performances since swapping Everton for Newcastle have seen him spring from the floor, but his ceiling’s higher still.

Declaring himself “a nightmare for anyone” he comes up against, Gordon has the experience to dovetail right into Liverpool’s first team, with his dynamic skills making him an exciting teammate for any forward looking to make their way.

All this is to say that Gordon could actually prove to be an even bigger talent than Ekitike, who has been named “one of the best strikers out there” by analyst Ben Mattinson but has yet to pass the English top-flight test.

The Frenchman might need a bit of time to bed in, whereas Gordon would be expected to hit the ground running.

That’s not a blight on Ekitike’s skill set. He is indeed one of the most exciting prospects out there, and he could shape into a world-beater for a fluent Liverpool side so rich with quality to ease him into his touted talismanic role.

But Gordon has already hit an astounding level in the Premier League, and joining Slot’s brood, he would be expected to raise his bar once again, taking a leaf from Ryan Gravenberch’s book, from Cody Gakpo’s.

Moreover, the fact that Liverpool’s interest stretches back to last summer makes a rather interesting comment on the depth of their intrigue, and indeed how the powers that be appear to be in concert: this is a player that the club need to sign, for he could not only replace Diaz but rise to a level above the Colombia star.

Ekitike is a talented player, but Liverpool know that he is a work in progress. Gordon may well be too, but he would be expected to lead with confidence, all the while reaching a level which might truly blow the Merseyside fanbase away.

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Celtic have made a habit out of buying and developing and selling on young talent over the years, as they have made millions in profit through player trading.

The likes of Matt O’Riley, Odsonne Edouard, Moussa Dembele, and Virgil van Dijk, among many others, have come and gone thanks to the club’s excellent recruitment work.

Whilst they have had success in plucking players out of top European countries, like van Dijk from the Netherlands or Dembele and O’Riley from England, they have also had success in snapping up talent from more obscure leagues.

For example, Celtic signed Kristoffer Ajer as a 17-year-old for £650k from Norwegian side Start, before they went on to sell him to Brentford for a reported fee of £13.5m.

The Hoops plucked the teenage talent up and sent him out on loan, to Kilmarnock, before integrating him into the first-team to develop into a £13.5m player, and they could repeat a similar trick with their interest in a midfielder this summer.

Celtic enquire about deal for Serbian midfielder

According to Cukaricki sporting director Vladimir Matijašević, Celtic have made contact over a potential deal to sign central midfielder Andrej Bacanin before the end of the summer transfer window.

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Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “There’s significant interest in our young players, and right now the spotlight is on Andrej Bačanin’s transfer. His performances last season for both our team and the Serbian national side at youth level have drawn attention from numerous clubs.

“We’ve had enquiries from Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers, and clubs like Ajax and Udinese are also interested, among others. It’s possible more options will emerge, but I expect the transfer to be completed within the next ten days.”

This shows that the Hoops are interested in the 18-year-old talent, who could arrive at Parkhead to follow a similar path to success in Scotland as Ajer.

Why Celtic should sign Andrej Bacanin

The Scottish Premiership giants should push to win the race for the teenage starlet’s signature this summer because he could be a future star for the club.

At the age of 18, Bacanin should not be expected to arrive as an immediate first-team star, as he only just made his breakthrough at senior level in Serbia in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Instead, the Serbia U19 international could follow Ajer’s path by joining another Premiership team, or a club in another country, on loan to continue his development, before making the step to Brendan Rodgers’ team further down the line.

Although he may not be ready to make an instant impact in Glasgow for Celtic, his performances in the Serbian Superliga show that he does have potential.

Appearances

17

Starts

10

Goals

1

Assists

2

Tackles per 90

2.3

Interceptions per 90

1.8

Error led to goal

0

Penalties committed

0

As you can see in the table above, Bacanin offered a screening presence in front of the back four when he played, averaging 4.1 tackles and interceptions per 90 in the division.

Meanwhile, no central midfielder for Celtic managed more than 2.0 tackles and interceptions per game, which suggests that the Serbian youngster could offer a defensive midfield option that Rodgers does not currently have.

As was the case with Ajer, though, Bacanin will need to be playing games week-in-week-out to hone his skills and develop as a player, which is why bringing the young whiz in before sending him out on loan could be a shrewd move.

The Hoops could snap him up this summer, to ensure that their rivals do not steal a march of them, before sending him away to develop and improve, with the hope that he will come back a better player who is ready to make his mark on Parkhead in the 2026/27 campaign.

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Serbian Football Scout, who is a professional scout for MLS side Colorado Rapids, previously dubbed Bacanin a “true midfield controller”, and he could control games for Celtic in the future, if they get this deal done.