Liverpool leading the pack of Premiership sides tracking Celtic midfielder Ki Sung Yeung and are planning on making a move for him in January, according to the Daily Mirror.
The Mirror claim the highly-rated young South Korean midfielder could make the move to Anfield for around £5 million. Celtic signed Ki Sung Yeung from Japanese first division side FC Seoul for £2.1 million in December 2009 and he has gone on to establish himself as a key member of the Celtic first team.
The 22 year-old has caught the eye of several Premier League teams with his performances for the Scottish side over the past year and it seems Liverpool are ready to act swiftly, as they look to pip their rivals with an offer for the talented midfielder in January.
Ki, dubbed the ‘South Korean Steven Gerrard’, has been impressive in the Scottish Premier League and he has become a fans’ favourite at Parkhead. Ki has made 45 appearances for Celtic since his move in 2009, scoring 6 goals.
Ki Sung Yeung made his international debut at the age of 19 and now, at just 22, he has 44 caps for the South Korean national team, scoring 5 goals for his country. Ki was a member of South Korea’s World Cup squad, making three appearances in South Africa.
It appears Celtic may be powerless to stop the midfielder from moving on if he feels the lure of the Premier League is something he can’t turn down, especially since several of his fellow countrymen currently ply their trade there.
If Ki was to make the move to England he would become the fifth South Korean player in the Premier League, joining Manchester United’s Ji Sung Park, Arsenal’s Park Chu-Young , Bolton’s Chung Yong-Lee and Sunderland’s Dong-Won Ji .
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Article courtesy of Tariq Saleh from the Transfer Tavern
Speaking to Football Insider, Paul Robinson of Sky Sports has described Ajax star and reported Liverpool transfer target Antony as having ‘exceptional’ quality.
The Lowdown: Liverpool eyeing Brazil winger…
The Brazil international, who has been a revelation in the Eredivisie this season, is thought to be attracting the attention of the Reds’ Fenway Sports Group ownership.
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, writing in a column for Anfield Watch, Liverpool are ‘huge admirers’ of the Ajax forward, with scouts watching him as far back as 2020.
Despite the signing of Luis Diaz from FC Porto last month, it is believed that the Reds are keeping tabs on Antony amid the uncertainty surrounding both Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.
The Latest Robinson raves…
Speaking to Football Insider, former England goalkeeper Robinson has given his seal of approval for a potential move for Antony, claiming that the 22-year-old has ‘exceptional quality’ and is ‘similar’ to the likes of Salah, Mane and Diaz.
He gushed: “Antony is a real top player. I have done the Eredivisie a few times this season and I’ve watched Ajax closely.
“Antony is very, very creative. He has great awareness around the box, is quick, can deliver a ball and has chipped in with a fair amount of goals as well.
“He has exceptional quality but he’s very similar to what Liverpool have got. When you look at Diaz, Salah and Mane, Antony is very similar to them. You can only play three up there and you’ve got [Diogo] Jota and [Roberto] Firmino as well.
“But at the same time, Antony is a top, top class player who would fit perfectly into that Liverpool formation and style of play.”
The Verdict: Get it done?
Chipping in with 11 goals and nine assists in all competitions this season (Transfermarkt), Antony has been nothing short of brilliant for the Dutch giants.
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It is little wonder that Ajax could reportedly demand up to €50m (£41.7m) for his services, but going by his age (22) and seemingly sky-high ceiling, he could be worth the investment from FSG if they are to back Jurgen Klopp in the transfer market.
In other news: FSG now prepared to move for £177,000-per-week ‘beast’! Find out more here.
As per The Evening Standard, manager David Moyes will again be without defender Ryan Fredericks as some West Ham team news emerges before Southampton.
The Lowdown: Fredericks suffers groin strain…
Near the end of February, the West Ham boss lifted the lid on Fredericks’ groin injury and subsequently ruled him out of his side’s 1-0n victory at home to Wolves.
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He joined Czech Republic international Vladimir Coufal as another right-back on the sidelines with Moyes only having the electric Ben Johnson to pick from against the travelling side.
Johnson did put in a fine display and further re-enforced why West Ham have opted to activate a two-year extension in his contract.
Sharing the latest team news, it appears West Ham’s bright youngster won’t be challenged for a wing-back slot again as an update emerges on Fredericks.
The Latest: Fredericks out…
As per The Evening Standard, Moyes’ alternative option in that position will again be out of today’s FA Cup clash with Southampton.
Indeed, as relayed, West Ham will remain without both Fredericks and Coufal today while centre-back Angelo Ogbonna is a long-term absentee.
The Verdict: Blow for Moyes?
While Fredericks hasn’t exactly been in the best of form, not having him as an option certainly will come as a minor blow for Moyes.
Depending on how Johnson performs, or if he even picks up a knock, Moyes seemingly has no right-back options to turn to with youngster Harrison Ashby also injured (football.london).
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Fredericks can also prove useful going forward on occasion, especially with his pace on the overlap, with podcaster and journalist Sam Delaney describing the ex-Spurs youngster as an ‘extra threat’.
Moyes has also labelled his dynamism ‘really important’ in the past, but with him out, it appears the Hammers will be reliant solely on Johnson again.
In other news: Insider: Moyes’ brand new transfer demand could now spell the end for ‘fantastic’ West Ham player, find out more here.
Leeds United are now facing a real battle to sign Middlesbrough right-back Djed Spence in the summer transfer window.
What’s the story?
It was reported back in January that the Whites were interested in striking a deal for the defender, who is currently on loan at Championship side Nottingham Forest.
Now, Football League World have claimed that fellow Premier League side Spurs have also got their eye on Spence as they look to bring in a new full-back come the summer.
Raphinha would love him
After falling down the pecking order at the Riverside, the defender has been a real star for Steve Cooper at Forest – as per WhoScored, he has averaged 1.4 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game, and a team-high of 1.8 dribbles and 0.8 key passes per game too.
That ability to be a real threat going forward is something that someone would like Raphinha would surely love to play with down the right flank, with Spence’s overlapping runs and being able to beat players himself giving the Brazilian a genuinely quality player to link with and form an understand with.
Spence really hit the headlines earlier this year when he shone against Arsenal in the FA Cup in January, a display which had Ian Wright positively raving about him.
The Gunners icon said: “Let me say, that was one of the best right-back performances I have seen for a very long time. A very long time. I have not seen a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time.”
And, with transfer insider Dean Jones telling GIVEMESPORT that it would take a fee in the region of £10m to sign him, it’s certainly a price tag that seems reasonable when you consider some of the big-money moves being made by clubs in the modern market.
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When you think of some of some of the Premier League’s top sides like Manchester City and Liverpool, who have formidable wide partnerships in the likes of Joao Cancelo and Raheem Sterling, and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah, Leeds could have one of their own if they were to bring in Spence.
Manchester City are set to pay Aston Villa £33m this summer in what will be their second instalment for Jack Grealish, Football Insider report.
The Lowdown: Grealish at City
Grealish left Villa Park for the Etihad last summer in a British record £100m deal. Since then, the 26-year-old hasn’t exactly hit new heights under Pep Guardiola, contributing to seven goals in 27 appearances in all competitions.
The left-winger recently returned to the Premier League starting line up and impressed in a 4-1 win over Manchester United, with Villa set to receive another payment from the Cityzens over the coming months.
The Latest: Source shares update
Football Insider shared a story on Wednesday afternoon regarding Grealish after being informed by a recruitment source.
They revealed that City are paying for Grealish split equally across three transfer windows, with a second £33m payment set to be made to Villa in the summer before a final one in 2023.
The Verdict: Coutinho funds…
Villa brought in Philippe Coutinho in January, with the Brazilian becoming Steven Gerrard’s first signing as manager. He signed on loan until the end of the season from Barcelona, with Villa having the option to sign the playmaker on a permanent deal for just over £33m in the summer.
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Therefore, following this update on Grealish, NSWE may not need to find the money for Coutinho as they could actually put the incoming funds towards a permanent move, which will just leave his huge salary to be finalised ahead of a possible full-time move.
In other news: Villa now gifted another late injury boost pre-Leeds as Preece shares news on ‘outstanding’ ace.
As per Calciomercato, there has been a seismic update on West Ham United’s transfer plans involving a familiar name in Benfica striker Darwin Nunez.
The Lowdown: Hammers fail in late move…
During the final stretches of the January transfer window, manager David Moyes and recruitment chief Rob Newman scrambled for signings with record-breaking late bids being lodged.
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Nunez was allegedly one of them with West Ham making a last-gasp €48 million (£40m) offer for his services, but to no avail, as it wasn’t enough to sway the Portuguese giants into selling.
However, as per Calciomercato, it appears GSB aren’t going to give up and are eyeing a return in the summer window.
The Latest: GSB preparing bid…
According to the Italian news source, West Ham and the club’s owners by extension are ‘ready to relaunch the rejected proposal’ with Atletico Madrid and Newcastle United also plotting a move.
They add that ‘everyone is crazy about’ the 22-year-old as he attracts serious interest from both the Premier League and La Liga.
The Verdict: Come back again?
It could take a huge bid to convince Benfica to sell their gem, as evidenced by the fact they have already turned down a big West Ham proposal this year.
However, Nunez may be worth the effort going by his scintillating 20 goals and two assists in 22 Liga NOS appearances this season alone.
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Called one of the ‘big name’ players to watch this summer by Fabrizio Romano, it will certainly be interesting to see if West Ham are successful in their attempts this time for the man who dumped Ajax out of the Champions League on Tuesday.
In other news: West Ham in pole position to sign ‘magnificent’ player who’s perfect for Moyes, find out more here.
Jurgen Klopp will be aware that just around the corner could be one of the biggest crisis he will have to face during his time as Liverpool manager, as both Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah’s contracts are set to expire at the end of next season.
The signing of Luis Diaz from Porto in the January transfer window hinted that the Reds are looking to prepare for the future by signing younger forwards than the aforementioned duo, with enough talent to immediately come in and stake a claim for the first team.
However, this summer could see them lose their star men a year ahead of schedule if they prefer to earn a transfer fee, and with interest building in them, Liverpool look likely to bolster their attack at the end of this season.
What’s the news?
Last week, the Daily Mail reported that Liverpool, as well as Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, were interested in acquiring Cody Gakpo from PSV this summer.
Since then, two unnamed Premier League teams have registered “concrete interest” as reported by Dutch news outlet Eindhovens Dagblad, and it’s believed that the Reds could be one of the clubs.
According to the Athletic, Gakpo has an understanding with PSV, that if a suitable offer is made, he can discuss terms with a new club.
Future replacement for Mane?
A goalscoring left-winger, Gakpo has scored the same amount of goals for club and country in all competitions this season as Mane (17), but also managing 14 assists – 11 more than the Senegalese star.
Averaging a 7.58 match rating in the Eredivisie, only Ajax duo Dusan Tadic (7.81) and Lisandro Martinez (7.61), as well as Feyenoord playmaker Orkun Kokcu (7.62), have managed a higher total in the league, while he is currently clear of the rest of his teammates.
Completing three dribbles, three key passes, three shots and 1.9 crosses per game, he has become a key figure in the PSV team, earning praise from the likes of former Netherlands international Theo Janssen in recent months.
“That boy has everything,” Janssen said. “Fine feeling for the ball, a good through ball, dribbles and is strong between the lines.
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“I really enjoy watching him. He is going to be an important player for the Oranje squad. He is ready to be in the base of the Oranje squad.”
Rated at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old would be a smart signing for Klopp and Liverpool, and his significant output in the final third could ensure he becomes a key player for the Reds too.
In other news: FSG must seal Liverpool deal for “scary” £41m star, he can be Klopp’s “game-winner”
Spurs have been handed a major transfer boost in their chase to sign Inter defender Stefan de Vrij this summer.
What’s the story?
According to Italian publication TuttoMercatoWeb, Serie A giants Inter have slashed their asking price for the Netherlands international, who is attracting admiring glances from the Premier League in both Spurs and Newcastle United.
The report adds that out of the two of both him and fellow centre-back partner Milan Skriniar, it’s De Vrij who looks most set for a departure from the San Siro this summer.
Imagine him and Romero
Having arrived from Atalanta last summer, Cristian Romero has quickly set about becoming a cult hero at Spurs with his wholehearted performances and aggressive style of defending.
But while the Argentine has quickly become a mainstay of this Spurs side, he could certainly do with another genuinely quality defender besides him, and De Vrij fits that bill to a tee.
His former teammate, Mauricio, raved: “Stefan is a great defender and deserves to be at a big club. He’s very tall, he’s strong and fast, he runs a lot – he’s a monster. He’s a calm defender who never gets agitated.”
Conte of course knows the Dutchman well from his time at Inter, and the pair rekindling their successful partnership in north London could be a stroke of genius.
Indeed, De Vrij himself has previously spoken highly of the Spurs boss, saying: “Simone Inzaghi and Conte are two important coaches because they’ve won. I had already worked with Inzaghi at Lazio, Conte has had a great career because he’s always won.
“We won the title under Conte and you can see it now. Inzaghi has been working on a solid base and is doing an important season now.”
If Spurs are to take that next step from competing for the top four to challenging for the title like Conte will no doubt want, then signings of the calibre of De Vrij is the way to go.
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Partnering Romero in defence with someone of De Vrij’s considerable experience and quality would give Spurs a formidable duo in the heart of their defence that no Premier League striker would relish going up against.
The £31.5m-rated centre-back could form a dream partnership at the back with Romero.
AND in other news – Left for £0, now worth £40m: Spurs suffered huge howler over “very explosive” U21 star
Rangers have experienced the highs and the lows of the transfer market over the years and Ross Wilson is the latest chief at Ibrox to navigate his way through the windows.
He has pulled off some impressive deals, including the signings of Leon Balogun, Ianis Hagi and Joe Aribo, but he has also been culpable for signings such as Cedric Itten and Amad Diallo. This illustrates how difficult it can be to have a high success rate as you can never guarantee that a player will come good.
Whilst you can look at moves over the years and judge whether they were the right ones or not, you can also look back at players the Gers wanted and failed to get.
One famous player the club missed out on a deal for was Barcelona teenager Lionel Messi. The Gers reportedly enquired about a swoop when he was 17 in 2004 and did not take it any further after they were unable to secure a loan, with the Glasgow giants seemingly not exploring the chances of a permanent move.
Thankfully, the Argentine winger didn’t amount to much and hasn’t been heard of on the world stage since… right?
Well… not exactly. The forward was valued at just £2.7m by Transfermakt at the time of Rangers’ enquiry, which – for some context – is less than Fashion Sakala (£3.6m), Amad Diallo (£16.2m) and Kemar Roofe (£3.6m) are worth now.
Since then, he has won just the seven Ballon d’Or trophies and scored 680 goals for Barcelona and PSG combined, whilst also providing 314 assists. He scored 474 goals and manage 216 assists in 520 La Liga outings for the Catalan giants, winning four Champions League titles along the way for the Spanish side.
By the age of 30, Transfermarkt valued Messi at a whopping £162m. Rangers, meanwhile, have a total squad value of £118.85m, which illustrates how big of a talent the Argentine icon has been throughout his career.
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His former Barcelona teammate Carles Puyol previously dubbed him an “alien” and legendary manager Jose Mourinho called him the “god of football”, with his out-of-this-world career statistics backing up the praise. He has dominated football throughout his time on the pitch and Rangers missed out on the chance to watch him play for the Light Blues.
Imagine Lionel Messi in a Gers kit firing in goals with his left foot at Ibrox, even if it was just for one season… it is the stuff of dreams and it could have been a reality. One that got away…
AND in other news, Gvb now plotting Rangers swoop for “exceptional” monster, he’d be a bargain “diamond”…
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy is very quickly learning about the intense pressure that comes with managing the Scottish Premiership giants after losing his first four matches.
The Hoops board, however, have put their support behind the new head coach, despite an unprecedentedly poor start to his reign, and are not looking to sack him already.
Nancy is the first manager in Celtic’s history to lose his first four games as a manager, just as he was the first manager to lose his first three games in charge, but he has the support of those above him.
Why Celtic should consider sacking Wilfried Nancy
If the Hoops do not produce a positive result against Aberdeen at Parkhead on Sunday, the Scottish giants should seriously consider ending his time at the club already.
His attempts to implement a 3-4-2-1 system have been dismal, as evidenced by the results, and the second half against Dundee United could be used as evidence for why it is not a formation that suits Celtic’s domestic standing.
The system worked early on when Dundee United pressed high, providing the wing-backs with space in behind to stretch the game, and they created chances, including the goal scored by Daizen Maeda, as a result of that.
However, when Jim Goodwin tightened his defence up and United dropped into a low-block, especially after they went 2-1 up, Celtic found it hard to break them down and create chances.
In a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, you can push both full-backs on and create overloads centrally and out wide to break down a low block, moving them side to side, but that is not as easy in a 3-4-2-1 because of the back three. Instead of having two centre-backs distributing the ball to break down that block, Celtic had Liam Scales, Auston Trusty, and Anthony Ralston passing to each other across the halfway line.
When one of those did move forward to help the attack, it meant that the Hoops were relying on central defender Liam Scales’ crossing ability to find an equaliser, which did not work out.
With Nancy’s system seemingly being unsuited to what Celtic need domestically, it may already be time to end his reign to appoint Kjetil Knutsen instead.
Why Celtic should appoint Kjetil Knutsen
The Bodo/Glimt boss was reportedly one of the frontrunners to replace Brendan Rodgers before the job eventually went to Nancy, and they should revisit that interest if they decide to part ways with the Frenchman.
Knutsen, who favours a 4-3-3 formation (Transfermarkt), just finished second in the Eliteserien with Bodo/Glimt, missing out by just one point in the 2025 campaign.
Whilst missing out on a title may not scream ‘perfect Celtic manager’, the Norwegian head coach’s overall career with Bodo/Glimt shows that he has the coaching nous to be an excellent appointment.
Nancy had only won the MLS Cup once in his managerial career, which came in 2023 with Columbus Crew, who had previously won the title in 2020 and 2008 under different managers, per Transfermarkt.
Knutsen, however, took over a Bodo/Glimt side that had never been champions of Norway and has won four Eliteserien titles in his time in charge of the club.
Season
Knutsen (Eliteserien)
Nancy (MLS)
2025
2nd
7th
2024
1st
2nd
2023
1st
3rd (MLS Cup winners)
2022
2nd
2nd
2021
1st
10th
2020
1st
N/A
Stats via Transfermarkt
As you can see in the table above, the Norwegian boss has been far more successful in domestic football as a manager, with a club, in Bodo/Glimt, that had less success than Columbus Crew had before their respective managers took over.
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Knutsen, whose former captain Bodo/Glimt Ulrik Saltnes described his playing style as “kamikaze”, also plays attacking football with a 4-3-3 system, as his team scored 85 goals in 30 league games in 2025, per Sofascore.
He could also be an upgrade on Nancy because of his experience in Europe. The Bodo/Glimt tactician reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last season and qualified for the league phase of the Champions League this term, something Celtic failed to do under Rodgers.
Whereas Nancy’s only match in European football to date was the 3-0 loss to Roma in his second match in charge of the Scottish giants last week.
Celtic now making enquiries for new manager in the hours since Lawwell exit
Nancy’s disastrous start became even worse in midweek.
1 ByTom Cunningham
Therefore, Knutsen could come in as an immediate upgrade on the current Celtic boss because of his style, playing a four-defender system that is better suited to breaking down low blocks, his history of winning league titles, and his experience in Europe.