Tag Futebol

40 days on from that heartbreaking Scottish Cup Final defeat to Aberdeen on penalties, Celtic are, almost, back in action.

Brendan Rodgers’ side will begin pre-season by facing Glasgow neighbours Queen’s Park at Lesser Hampden on Friday night, before travelling across the Irish Sea to take on Cork City at Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Tuesday.

Off the pitch, the Hoops continue to be busy in the transfer market, so could another signing be on the way?

Celtic targeting a new midfielder

So far this summer, the Hoops have made four signings. Kieran Tierney is back, the returning hero re-joining the club six years after departing for Arsenal.

Winger Benjamin Nygren has arrived from Nordsjælland for a reported fee of £1.3m, young striker Callum Osmand has come in from Fulham, while Ross Doohan will be the new third-choice goalkeeper.

Now, according to a report by Neil Goulding of Sports Boom, Celtic have ‘joined the race’ to sign Tyler Morton from Liverpool and are currently readying a bid.

They claim that the 22-year-old is valued at around £15m, a price tag that would eclipse the Hoops’ club-record £11m capture of Arne Engels. West Ham, Ajax, Braga and Club Brugge have also ‘already expressed their interest’.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Morton has been with Liverpool since the age of seven, making his senior debut in the EFL Cup against Norwich back in September 2021.

To date, he has accumulated just 14 appearances for the Reds, totalling 806 minutes, just 261 minutes of which came last season, his only starts coming against Brighton and Southampton, both in the Carabao Cup.

Morton has previously been loaned out to both Blackburn Rovers and Hull City, making 46 and 41 appearances for those two clubs respectively, but after starring at the under-21 European Championships, which England won, he could be ready for a permanent switch away from Anfield, with a report by the Times stating he is ‘eager for regular’ first team action.

How would Tyler Morton improve Celtic

Despite having only ever seen limited action, Morton’s performances have earned rave reviews.

Then-Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp labelled him a “brilliant footballer”, adding that he possesses an “outstanding” football brain. Analyst Ben Mattinson also believes he is the “complete midfielder”.

Meantime, Barry Cooper of Hull Live praised his ‘willingness to take the ball under pressure’, asserting that he was ‘impressive throughout’ his campaign on loan at the Tigers, forecasting he’ll go to the very top.

Morton started the U21 Euros quarter-final victory over Spain, before seeing 76 minutes of action off the bench in the final victory over Germany, his stunning cross teeing up Jonathan Rowe’s extra time winner at the Národný futbalový štadión.

Should he make the move to Celtic, the aforementioned Engels would be amongst the midfielders Morton would be aiming to usurp in the pecking order, with the chance there for the £15m man to follow in the Belgian’s footsteps as an exciting, albeit expensive, midfield capture.

Tyler Morton 2023/24 vs Anre Engels 2024/25
Statistics	Morton at Hull	Engels at Celtic
Appearances	41	52
Minutes	3,020	3,310
Goals	3	10
Assists	5	13
All statistics below are per 90
Attempted passes	59.1	56.6
Forward passes	13.2	14.4
Pass completion %	88.5%	84.7%
Chances created	1.4	2.5
Shot-creating actions	3.06	2.91
Duels contested	7.2	7.6
Ground duel success %	45%	49%
Tackles	1.7	1.1
Interceptions	0.8	0.2
Ball recoveries	4.9	3.5
Touches per 90	73.4	78.8
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com, and Squawka

As the table outlines, Engels is more of a goal threat, hence why his rudimentary goals and assists statistics are significantly higher, while the Belgian also created more chances and accumulated more touches on a per 90 basis.

However, more broadly, Morton’s statistics are comparable to those of Engels, completing a higher percentage of his passes, while registering more tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries too.

So, what is clear is that, stylistically, the pair are very different but, still only 22 years old, with a miserly 101 senior appearances to his name, Morton has plenty of room for improvement – much like the 21-year-old Engels.

It'd be Ryan Christie 2.0: Euro club open talks to sign £2m Celtic ace

A European team are interested in a deal to sign a star from Celtic this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 3, 2025

Everton are starting to make progress on transfers this summer and find themselves ready to put together a package for a solid performer who is now on their radar, according to reports.

Everton close to making first summer signing

Abdoulaye Doucoure, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ashley Young were among high-profile departures at Everton this summer, but they are now close to making their first capture of the window.

Reports suggest Villarreal striker Thierno Barry is on his way to the Toffees for a fee in the region of £30 million, while Millwall forward Mihailo Ivanovic is another potential recruit if they can come to an agreement on a deal to sign the Serbia international.

Defensively, free agent Nicolas Tagliafico is in advanced talks to join Everton after leaving financially unstable former club Lyon at the end of last campaign, providing competition for Vitaly Mykolenko without David Moyes having to take a significant chunk out his budget.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has also claimed that Ipswich Town midfielder Omari Hutchinson could be interested in joining the Toffees after suffering relegation at Portman Road.

He stated: “Privately, the player would love the chance to return to the Premier League. Ipswich, on the other hand, will be hoping to keep hold of him because he’d be a key man for them next season, as they try and win promotion back to the Premier League.”

Gueye upgrade: Everton now preparing bid to sign £75k-p/w "monster"

Everton are interested in signing a Premier League mainstay in a bargain deal this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 5, 2025

Later, he added: “There will be Premier League clubs sitting up and taking notice of him, and we know that Everton are in the market for wingers.”

While it remains to be seen if Everton could sign Hutchinson, they are in the market for a goalkeeper from the EFL that could be on the move this summer.

Everton look to sign Sheffield United stopper Michael Cooper

According to reliable reporter Alan Nixon on Patreon, Everton are keen on Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper following his excellent displays for the Blades last term.

The Toffees are ready to pay £5 million plus add-ons to bring the 25-year-old to Merseyside. However, Ruben Selles wants a higher amount and the Exeter-born man is in no hurry to leave unless he has guarantees of first-team football elsewhere.

Michael Cooper’s excellent campaign for Sheffield United – all competitions

Appearances

46

Goals conceded

35

Clean sheets

23

Everton may gain an advantage given he has the same agent as Dwight McNeil and Jake O’Brien, who are also clients of Unique Sports Group alongside Cooper.

Jordan Pickford is the only senior goalkeeper on the books at Finch Farm amid Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia’s departures. Should they act to bring in a supplementary figure to the England international, someone with a 79.6% save percentage in England’s second-tier would be the profile you would want to acquire.

Moyes is beginning to make tracks as his side undergo a rebuild, and Cooper could fit the bill as a progressive signing under the guise of the Friedkin Group.

There could be plenty of change at Manchester United this summer as Ruben Amorim prepares for his first full season in charge at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils and INEOS may have to move some players on before splashing the cash to comply with PSR, especially after the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham didn’t help with the club’s finances.

Amorim also now knows that he will be leading his Man Utd side against Arsenal at Old Trafford on the opening weekend of the 2025/26 Premier League season.

AI predicts the 2025/26 Premier League table

Who are the winners and losers from AI’s table?

1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 7, 2025

Marquee signing Matheus Cunha will be expected to feature on the opening weekend, but who else will be in that side? Well, Grok, the AI tool on X, has predicted Man Utd’s 25/26 starting line-up, with three more new faces backed to join the Brazilian.

AI predicts Man Utd’s 2025/26 starting line-up GK: Emiliano Martinez

According to Grok, the new goalkeeper for the 25/26 season at Old Trafford will be Emiliano Martinez.

The Red Devils are seemingly on the search to replace Andre Onana two years after he arrived, and the Argentine is thought to be open to joining Amorim’s side. A fee of £40m has been mooted in the media for Aston Villa to sell.

RCB: Noussair Mazraoui

Versatile defender Noussair Mazraoui has been predicted to start on the right-hand side of a back three after making 20 appearances as a central defender last season.

AI says that the Moroccan ‘adapted well to Amorim’s right centre-back role, offering defensive solidity and attacking contributions’.

CB: Leny Yoro

Still just 19 years of age, Leny Yoro looks set to be a regular at the back over the coming years, and he made 33 appearances in his first season at Old Trafford.

His ‘long-term potential make him a starter’ under Amorim, according to Grok, providing he stays fully fit.

LCB: Matthijs de Ligt

With Lisandro Martinez still sidelined through injury, Matthijs de Ligt has been predicted to make up the back three alongside Mazraoui and Yoro.

Despite being right footed, the Netherlands international has bundles of experience at the highest level and should continue to help Yoro and Mazraoui.

RWB: Amad Diallo

In a 3-4-2-1 system, Amad Diallo impressed as a right wing-back in the early days of Amorim’s Man Utd tenure.

Amorim also praised Diallo, saying the Ivorian has “improved so much defensively”, and he has been backed to feature there on a regular basis, starting against Arsenal ahead of Diogo Dalot.

LWB: Patrick Dorgu

On the other side, January signing Patrick Dorgu could get the nod ahead of his first full campaign as a Red Devils player.

The Denmark international was a regular in the second half of the 24/25 campaign and will be looking to add to his 20 Man Utd appearances.

CM: Manuel Ugarte

The first of two midfielders is Manuel Ugarte, who, despite being known for his defensive work, contributed to eight goals under Amorim in 24/25.

Ugarte is described as a ‘guaranteed starter’, providing a major midfield signing isn’t made, as he ‘brings energy and defensive nous to midfield, aligning with Amorim’s desire for dynamism’.

CM: Bruno Fernandes (c)

After snubbing interest from Saudi Arabia, Bruno Fernandes was always going to start in Grok’s Man Utd predicted XI.

Games

290

Goals

98

Assists

86

Trophies won

2

The Red Devils captain is into his sixth year at Old Trafford and despite the club’s struggles, will go down as an iconic Man Utd star. AI says Fernandes ‘will anchor the midfield, likely playing slightly advanced’.

RW: Matheus Cunha

After triggering Matheus Cunha’s £62.5m release clause, it is no surprise to see Man Utd’s new signing thrown straight into the starting line-up.

The Brazilian contributed to 19 goals last season as an attacking midfielder or second striker, with the remaining four contributors coming as a winger or centre-forward. Grok has predicted that Amorim will use Cunha as one of two No.10s behind a striker.

LW: Bryan Mbeumo

Joining Cunha in behind a forward is another new face in Bryan Mbeumo. The Red Devils have a major interest in the Brentford star, who is valued up to £60m.

Grok says Mbeumo ‘pace and goal-scoring’ will offer a ‘balance to the attack’, and after a career best season in front of goal with the Bees in 24/25, it’s hard to argue against that.

ST: Viktor Gyokeres

Finishing off the side could be Man Utd’s most exciting and expensive signing of the summer in Viktor Gyokeres. The goalscoring machine starred under Amorim with Sporting CP and a reunion has been spoken about, although he does have an £85m release clause in his contract.

Grok says Gyokeres ‘could be the answer to their goal-scoring woes, outshining Rasmus Hojlund’ in the process.

Chelsea are set for a busy summer period. Not only is it the transfer window, but Enzo Maresca’s side will be one of 32 teams competing in the new-look Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States of America, beginning in mid-June.

The Blues’ three group stage opponents are Mexican outfit Club Leon, Tunisian side Esperance de Tunis and Brazilian giants Flamengo. Other sides from Europe competing include Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, so the West Londoners are certainly not considered favourites.

However, with the transfer window set to open early, on the 1st of June, it gives Chelsea a chance to bolster their side before the tournament begins. They could be in line to make a real statement signing.

Chelsea's major summer target

There is no doubt that the Blues’ squad already has plenty of firepower in attacking areas. The likes of Cole Palmer is someone who springs to mind, but Chelsea could be about to get even stronger in attacking areas.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Indeed, according to Wednesday’s print edition of Spanish paper, Sport, the West London outfit are one of the sides set to make a serious move for Rodrygo this summer. They are thought to have made contact with the Real Madrid star recently.

However, they will face competition in order to bring the Brazilian to Stamford Bridge. Premier League rivals Man City are also in the race to sign him.

A report on Tuesday from Football Insider stated Rodrygo could cost £85m this summer, a hefty fee for either Premier League side chasing him.

Why Rodrygo could be Chelsea's best winger since Hazard

If Chelsea manage to convince Rodrygo to swap the Spanish capital for the English capital, then it would be an astronomical signing.

He has been important for Real Madrid once again this season, in what has been a campaign of much disappointment for Los Blancos, who will almost certainly go trophyless after winning the UEFA Super Cup back in August.

The Brazil international has amassed 50 appearances across all competitions, scoring 13 goals and grabbing ten assists in that time. However, he has gone 12 games in La Liga without a goal or assist, after a run of eight goal involvements in five games.

Regardless, the 24-year-old is certainly a “big game player” as Dougie Critchley described him. Just this season, he has scored a crucial goal in the Champions League last 16 against Atletico Madrid, and has found the back of the net in one of the El Clasico’s.

The attacker has some excellent underlying stats from this season via FBref, too. Per 90 minutes, he averages 4.49 shot-creating actions and 2.04 key passes, both of which rank him in the top 3% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues.

Key passes

2.04

97th

Progressive passes

4.46

97th

Shot-creating actions

4.49

97th

Take-ons completed

2.13

97th

Progressive carries

5.06

98th

With numbers like that, Rodrygo could certainly become Chelsea’s best winger since a certain Eden Hazard graced the Bridge. The Belgian legend departed the club in 2019, having made 352 appearances, scoring 110 goals and grabbing 89 assists.

It is not hard to pinpoint exactly which Premier League season was the 34-year-old’s best at Stamford Bridge. In his final campaign, he played 37 top-flight games, contributing an outrageous 16 goals and 15 assists.

Since his departure, however, the Blues have struggled to find a replacement for their former number 10, though not for lack of trying. They have spent hundreds of millions of pounds trying to make up for the loss of their talisman.

Raheem Sterling’s 14 Premier League goals are the most by a winger since Hazard left, with Noni Madueke currently on 13 and Timo Werner, who managed ten, the only other players in double figures. No winger has come remotely near his high standards.

However, it seems as though Rodrygo, if the deal gets done, could finally be the player to replace Hazard. For example, his best season in terms of average key passes per game was 3.1 in 2017/18, according to Sofascore, which is not much more than Rodrygo’s current tally of 2.04.

£85m is a huge investment, but signing Rodrygo could be the addition they need to finally replace Hazard, after what will be six years of trying. He is a genuine goalscorer and a huge creative threat, and could be the man to take on the mantle of an all-time Chelsea great.

A better signing than Osimhen: Chelsea in talks to land the "next Haaland"

Chelsea appear to be making moves to land a star who would be better than Victor Osimhen.

1 ByEthan Lamb May 14, 2025

Chelsea have held talks with the representatives of a highly-rated star recently, with his club nown also identifying a potential replacement for him.

Chelsea summer transfer plans explained

The three key items on BlueCo’s agenda this summer are the signings of a centre-back, winger and striker (Simon Phillips).

Chelsea in "active talks" to sign forward with Jadon Sancho swap possible

The Englishman could go the other way.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 30, 2025

Wesley Fofana consistently finds himself on the treatment table with long-term injuries, which has been the case ever since his £75 million move from Leicester City, while it appears likely Benoit Badiashile and Axel Disasi will be sold by Chelsea this summer.

There are even reports in France that Chelsea are seriously considering Fofana’s sale as well, leaving little wonder a centre-back is high on the agenda at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounding Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Jadon Sancho means Chelsea have reportedly opened talks for Borussia Dortmund starlet Jamie Gittens already, as they seek to get deals done early before their Club World Cup campaign.

A host of strikers are being linked with moves to Cobham as well, including Benjamin Sesko, Liam Delap, Jonathan David, Hugo Ekitiké and Victor Osimhen (Sky Sports), so it appears Enzo Maresca’s side are set for yet another busy window.

Going back to the defensive area of their squad, links to Bournemouth starlet Dean Huijsen are refusing to go away.

The 20-year-old’s £50 million release clause has piqued interest from a host of elite sides, including Chelsea, and the reliable Simon Phillips recently reported that they’ve held “very positive” talks with Huijsen’s representatives in the last fortnight.

Chelsea apparently hold a serious belief that they could be frontrunners for the Spain international’s signature, but it is a complex saga to say the least.

“So what has happened so far is that Barat [his agent] is pushing Huijsen to join Chelsea, but Don [his father] is pushing him to join Liverpool,” wrote Phillips last week (Substack).

“The belief is that ideally, Huijsen would want to go to Real Madrid but he is being advised to stay in the Premier League for now and also, Real have yet to make a solid move other than register some interest. I have not heard that Champions League football is a deciding factor, but it could be ‘a’ factor.”

Bournemouth identify Albian Hajdari as replacement for Dean Huijsen

Following reports of Chelsea’s talks with Huijsen, journalist Rudy Galetti has shared another update on his future in a piece for TEAMtalk.

It is now believed that the Cherries are very much planning for his exit from the Vitality this summer, with Bournemouth identifying Lugano defender Albian Hajdari as a replacement for Huijsen.

This is described as a boost for Liverpool in their pursuit of Huijsen, as Bournemouth grow more aware he is heading out of the door this summer, but it also comes as a piece of encouragement for Chelsea – especially after their discussions with the player’s camp.

Huijsen has been a mainstay under Andoni Iraola this season, passing his first season in the Premier League with flying colours, and the sky appears to be the limit for a centre-back who could still be miles away from reaching his ceiling, given his young age.

It wasn’t perfect, but Manchester United secured three points at Molineux to return to winning ways in the Premier League and gear up for another charge toward Champions League contention.

Bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers crumbled away after the break, and the Red Devils made them pay, with Bruno Fernandes’ brace coming either side of second-half strikes from Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount.

The home side might be at the centre of a catastrophic failure this season, but take nothing away from United’s slick attacking play, creating a platform to build on after labouring to a draw against West Ham United at Old Trafford last week.

How Man Utd beat Wolves

Amorim’s Red Devils have rekindled the feel-good factor. There is work still to be done, and the Portuguese tactician’s system leaves something to be desired, but Manchester United are just one point behind fourth-placed Crystal Palace.

Amorim knew his side would dominate the ball, and dictate the flow of possession they did, but he would have drilled into his troops at half-time a lesson about wayward shooting. As per Sofascore, United chalked up an xG total of 4.01 across the match, with 3.06 of that total coming after the interval despite 14 of the 27 shots on the evening being lashed across the first half.

It’s also worth noting that five of United’s seven shots on target came during the first half. This may have smacked of desperation in other circumstances, but at Molineux illustrated a tactical tweak orienting toward greater variation, a ramping-up of the gas that outfoxed a Wolves backline that crumbled under pressure.

One way of looking at it would be that United toiled, to little avail, before the break, but we also saw tactical adaptation from a manager who has been criticised for his obstinacy.

Content creator Adam Joseph said that “tonight doesn’t solve any issues”, but he praised the victory all the same. Now, Amorim needs to go one step further and deepen the nuances of his system, surely ending one protracted experiment which might have seen the visitors come unstuck, had they been playing a higher calibre of opponent.

Amorim must boldly drop Man United talent

Amad Diallo is one of the most talented players in Manchester United’s squad, but he’s also been played out of position for the lion’s share of the Amorim era, and the contest at Molineux issued a reminder that he cannot continue in an unnatural wing-back berth forever.

Not only does it hinder the 23-year-old’s attacking play, but it also fails to offer United’s system the balance and fluency it requires down the right channel.

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

68

Accurate passes

39/44 (89%)

Chances created

4

Possession lost

9x

Crosses

1/3

Dribbles

2/4

Recoveries

3

Tackles won

1/1

Duels won

5/9

This was by no means a, quote unquote, disasterclass, but Amad did leave something to be desired, lacking end product and culpable for a few defensive lapses. The Manchester Evening News recognised this, handing the Ivory Coast international a 6/10 match rating.

Amad, after all, was perhaps at fault for the Old Gold’s parity-restoring goal before the break, failing to close David Møller Wolfe as the wing-back cut back to Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, who scored.

There were flashes of quality, for sure, but we must remember that Amad is performing, dutifully, in a role that is not his own, and this was picked up by analyst Raj Chohan, who remarked that it has been “completely unserious squad planning” on Amorim’s part, shoehorning a fleet-footed forward into a position that he “does not suit playing” in.

This season, ten of Amad’s 15 appearances have come as United’s right-sided wing-back, with five outings made in an attacking role off the central striker.

There he plays his best stuff, and if Amorim is to succeed at the club and lead the squad for the long run, he will need to find a way to maximise this talented forward’s skills in a position that he can call his own.

Bad news for Mainoo: INEOS make £70m "passing machine" Man Utd’s no.1 target

Man United’s need for a new centre-midfielder is as pressing as ever.

ByAngus Sinclair 4 days ago

Manchester United’s topsy-turvy campaign continued on Monday night but fortunately, it was all smiles in the end as they demolished a dreadful Wolves side 4-1 at Molineux.

Bruno Fernandes was in supreme form, scoring twice and registering an assist but he wasn’t the only player on the away side who stood out.

Bryan Mbeumo ended his run of games without finding the net while Mason Mount continued his impressive form as one of the leading men in Amorim’s attack.

Amorim speaks out after Wolves win

There has been a lot of debate surrounding the position of Fernandes this season. The club captain is an attacking midfielder by trade but has been used as a deeper-lying figure under Ruben Amorim.

That said, he’s still impacting things and arguably had one of his finest games under the young Portuguese manager to date when they travelled to Wolverhampton.

Speaking after the game, Amorim was delighted with the performance, although he was critical of the opening 45 minutes.

He told the press: “I think, once again, after we scored a goal we were a little bit sloppy on the ball and that gave a little bit of hope to the opponent.”

Amorim continued: “But, we created a lot of chances in the first half also. We should have finished that half in a different way and then at half-time they understood that we have everything to win the game, to win three points. And they did that.

“I think the pace, the quality that we showed in the second half, understanding that the moment of Wolves is really hard as a team, as a club, so we took advantage of that.”

Mount receives the acclaim from Amorim

This has been a season of rejuvenation for Mount whose time at Old Trafford has been a difficult one to date, largely due to injury.

However, after scoring against Wolves, it means the England international has now scored three goals in his last seven outings for United. Not jaw-dropping numbers sure, but it’s a return to some sort of prominence for a man who’s been on the periphery for so long.

Amorim was seemingly ecstatic with Mount post-game, telling reporters: “He can defend, he can attack, the quality when he touches the ball is really good, so it’s not a surprise for me,” Amorim said.

The manager continued: “He’s a different type of leader. It’s not like Licha (Lisandro Martinez), for example. It’s a guy that leads by example.”

Amorim concluded by summarising how the former Chelsea man is around the training ground: “It doesn’t matter the situation, Mason Mount is always the same thing – training, talking, dealing with people around Carrington. That is not easy, so he’s a very, very good player.”

While Mount has played as a striker on the odd occasion this term, he featured in an attacking midfield role with Matheus Cunha leading the line instead against Wolves. It seemed to work a treat for United on Monday evening.

100% pass success & 100% duels won: Man Utd star is as undroppable as Bruno

Manchester United have unearthed another star after yesterday’s win over Wolves at Molineux.

By
Ethan Lamb

3 days ago

Ryan Reynolds has revealed that a Wrexham player called him up in the middle of the night over fears about the club's docuseries "upending his life". Not long after he and Rob Mac took ownership of the Welsh side, fly-on-the-wall show 'Welcome to Wrexham' hit TV screens, helping to expand their global audience. While many love the series, one "very upset" Red Dragons player pleaded with Reynolds to edit one part of it.

Welcome to Wrexham success

When Reynolds and Mac took over Wrexham in 2021, they had a vision to massively increase the club's profile. A great way to do that was with a behind-the-scenes documentary, and sure enough, 'Welcome to Wrexham' was born. The show has just finished its fourth season, with the series detailing their rise from the National League all the way up to the Championship in a few short years. As they target the holy grail that is the Premier League, a fifth season of the show, which has won eight Emmy Awards and two Critics' Choice TV Awards, is in the pipeline. But not everyone has been a fan of the documentary. In fact, one unnamed Wrexham player once rang Reynolds in the dead of night, asking the Hollywood actor to take a certain scene out of the production.  

AdvertisementGetty'He was freaking out'

The Canadian didn't reveal which player called him but did say they were "freaking out" and begged him to edit part of an episode. Reynolds, who was filming Deadpool and Wolverine at the time, thought his request wouldn't be fulfilled, but lo and behold, it was.

"I remember there was an issue on Welcome to Wrexham where a player had some kind of issue. He was freaking out because there was something in the opening credits that would upend his life in some way," the 49-year-old said while speaking at The Wall Street Journal's CMO Council Summit. "I'm not getting into it, but he called me so upset and said, 'Can you please get this thing out of the credits?' I was like, 'Man, in Poland, someone is watching this show right now. You don't just pull something off streaming, edit it and then put it back up'. He's like, 'Please, please, just try'. It was two in the morning, I was editing Deadpool and Wolverine at night and shooting a movie in the day. I'm at my wits' end, but I asked. It turns out I was dead f**king wrong. You can actually pull something down and you can edit."

A football documentary with heart

For the uninitiated, casual viewers may see a show with comedy actors Reynolds and Mac and think it will be all fun and laughs. But one thing that is very important to the duo about this series is that it does a deep dive on the town of Wrexham and the lives the football club affects. 

Previously, Reynolds has said: "If you’re just reading the headlines, you probably think, ‘Oh, this show is going to be funny'. It’s gonna be a fish-out-of-water story about two schmucky showbiz morons going in, falling on their asses, learning as they go. But the show literally does not centre us. It centres the town. That’s always the wonderful thing about doing a docuseries, is that your job is just to listen. You can either jam something into your pre-existing vision or you can listen and allow it to become what it’s meant to become. Thankfully we did the latter. Ultimately, we got very lucky because even if you’re not rooting for Rob or Ryan, it’s pretty hard not to root for this town."

Mac added: "After the first episode aired, I was grateful to hear from several people that there was a collective sigh of relief that we weren’t there to make exploitative television, we were there to celebrate them."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Wrexham?

After securing three straight promotions in as many years, Wrexham are now trying their hand at Championship football under head coach Phil Parkinson. After, somewhat, breezing through League Two and League One, the English second-tier is proving to be a tougher nut to crack for Phil Parkinson's team. They sit 15th in the division but are just four points off the play-offs. Wrexham spent big this summer to try and launch an assault on the Championship's promotion spots, but whether they achieve that goal is up in the air.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has won his first three Scottish Premiership matches in charge of the club, after Russell Martin failed to string back-to-back wins together.

The Gers beat Dundee 3-0 at Dens Park on Sunday in the last game before the international break, and there was a first league goal for winger Djeidi Gassama.

He cut in from the left wing to curl a brilliant finish into the far corner, as show in the clip above, after he had failed to score in his first ten appearances in the division after his move from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer.

Gassama has now scored six goals in all competitions for the Light Blues, having scored four goals in the Champions League qualifiers and one in th Europa League, per Transfermarkt, after a £2.2m move from the Owls.

The French winger will be hoping that his goal against Dundee will be a platform to build from for the rest of the season, as he looks to provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch on the left flank.

Rangers will also be hoping that is the case so that they can mark him down as another successful attacking signing, of which there have been a few in recent seasons.

Ranking Rangers biggest talents since they last won the Premiership

Since the Gers won the Premiership title under Steven Gerrard in the 2020/21 campaign, the Scottish giants have not had too much success on the pitch or with managers.

A couple of domestic cup wins has not been enough to see continuity in the dugout, which is a cause for concern, but the Light Blues have had some exciting players to watch in the last few years.

It is hard to look past Vaclav Cerny and Hamza Igamane as being two of the biggest talents at the club since the last league win. Cerny provided 18 goals and nine assists in all competitions, whilst the Morocco international managed 16 goals and three assists.

Calvin Bassey, who was sold to Ajax for £19.6m, also has to be up there because he is the club’s most expensive sale of all time, and is currently playing consistently in the Premier League with Fulham.

Arguably the biggest talent Rangers have had since they last won the league, though, is attacking midfielder Malik Tillman, who was on loan from Bayern Munich in the 2023/24 campaign.

Biggest Rangers talents since they last won the league
Rank	Player
1	Malik Tillman
2	Hamza Igamane
3	Calvin Bassey
4	Vaclav Cerny
5	Abdallah Sima

The USA international provided 12 goals and five assists in all competitions for the club during his loan spell, per Transfermarkt, and provided many moments of quality for the supporters to enjoy.

On top of his excellent performances for Rangers, Tillman has gone on to enjoy a successful career away from Ibrox. He currently plays for German giants Bayer Leverkusen and is valued at £30m by Transfermarkt, which is more than any other player on that list.

It is, therefore, hard to argue against the goalscoring midfielder being the biggest talent Rangers have had since they last won the league, because he is currently the most valuable former or current Gers player, per Transfermarkt, from then to now.

Whilst Gassama will be hoping to follow in Tillman’s footsteps in the months and seasons to come, there is another Gers star who could be the club’s biggest talent since the American.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Mikey Moore has not had the perfect start to his career at Ibrox, since signing on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, but recent performances suggest that he is turning a corner.

Why Mikey Moore could be the biggest Rangers talent since Malik Tillman

The England youth international failed to provide a goal or an assist for Russell Martin in five Premiership appearances, in what was a very difficult opening couple of months for him at the club.

Since Martin’s exit, though, Moore has scored one goal and provided one assist in four appearances in the division, matching Gassama’s tally from 11 league outings this season, per Sofascore.

Like the French forward, the Spurs loanee scored his first goal for the club in the 3-0 win at Dens Park on Sunday, as he picked up the ball in a central position and finished brilliantly into the bottom corner.

The 18-year-old starlet is still learning and developing each week as he gains vital first-team experience, and it is showing in his improved performances on the pitch, with two goal contributions in the last four league matches after none in the first five.

Moore is getting better each week, as evidenced by his improved form in front of goal, and that is an exciting prospect when you consider his form for Spurs at academy level.

The English forward scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 24 matches at U18 level for the Premier League side, per Transfermarkt, which shows the kind of output that he has the potential to offer if he can get to his very best.

Moore, who Como scout Ben Mattinson claimed has “superstar potential”, could develop into a brilliant forward for Rangers if he can add the consistency that was shown in his performances at academy level, after finally getting off the mark in the Premiership on Sunday.

Most valuable Glasgow Rangers players (25/26)
Player	Market value
Mikey Moore	£14m
Nicolas Raskin	£10m
Mohamed Diomande	£7m
Youssef Chermiti	£7m
Nasser Djiga	£7m
Valuations via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the Spurs loanee is currently the most valuable player in the Rangers squad, at £14m, and that is whilst he is also the youngest player in the team.

At the age of 18, Moore has so much time left ahead of him to progress and develop, and he is already showing signs of growth in his performances for the Gers.

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That is why the English winger could be the club’s biggest talent since Tillman because he is a future “superstar” who could go on to be worth as much, if not more, than the American star.

Excitement is building ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm derby; let’s hope it is better than the last!

When Glasgow’s big two most recently met in August, Russell Martin and Brendan Rodgers were in the respective dugouts, but both are now gone, meaning it’ll be new Rangers boss Danny Röhl against Martin O’Neill at the weekend.

The Irishman is more than double the German’s age, retiring as a player five years before Röhl was even born.

Well, under their new 36-year-old head coach, Rangers might just be on a roll, enjoying back-to-back Premiership victories for the first time this season, beating Kilmarnock 3-1 at Ibrox and then Hibernian 1-0 at Easter Road on Wednesday.

If Röhl is going to claim a statement victory in his first-ever Glasgow derby, he simply must unleash Rangers’ “creative” star at Hampden.

Connor Barron's absence vs Celtic explained

As was widely reported this week, Connor Barron will miss Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against Celtic due to suspension.

That’s because the midfielder has been booked during both League Cup fixtures this season, coincidentally cautioned in the 78th minute against Alloa Athletic and then Hibs, thereby serving a one-match ban.

Barron started for the first time under Röhl in Leith on Wednesday, actually giving away a late penalty, bringing down Junior Hoilett, but, thankfully for him, Jamie McGrath’s attempt from 12 yards was dramatically saved by Jack Butland.

Despite this, speaking during Sky Sports’ coverage, Scott Allan asserted that Barron “had a fantastic game tonight… I thought he was excellent”, while Kris Boyd noted he was going to be awarded man of the match, prior to this almost costly foul.

So, Barron’s unavailability will be a blow, but Röhl has a more than able deputy waiting in reserve.

Rangers' creative star who must start vs Celtic

With Nicolas Raskin a guaranteed starter, the Belgian one of the first names on the team sheet, the question is who should partner him in midfield?

Well, there is surely only one man for the job, namely Mohamed Diomandé.

The Ivorian international has only featured in one of Röhl’s three matches in charge to date, suspended for the hammering at the hands of Brann, starting against Kilmarnock last Sunday before, surprisingly, remaining an unused substitute at Hibs.

The 24-year-old has had a bit of a stop-start season, albeit he’s not the only one, but last season’s statistics very much emphasise his importance.

Minutes

4,028

3rd

Goals

6

4th

Assists

9

3rd

Shots

61

5th

Big chances created

14

2nd

Key passes per 90

1.2

5th

Tackles per 90

1.6

6th

Interceptions per 90

0.9

6th

Average rating

7.19

6th

As the table documents, only captain James Tavernier and the departed Jefté played more minutes than Diomandé for Rangers across all competitions last season.

Meantime, all three players who scored more goals than him have also gone, namely Cyriel Dessers, Václav Černý and Hamza Igamane, twice on target against Celtic, netting in December’s League Cup Final and March’s memorable win at Parkhead.

On top of this, he ranked highly for assists, big chances created and key passes, as well as in the top six for tackles and interceptions, underlining that he is an all-round midfielder.

Upon his arrival in Glasgow from Nordsjælland, then director of recruitment Nils Koppen praised the Côte d’Ivoire international’s “creative play and strong defensive work”, adding that he would add a “high level of athleticism” to the Rangers team.

Meantime, Stefan Bienkowsk of Transfermarkt labels him one of the most ‘accomplished [young] central midfielders’ in European football, while Joshua Barrie of the Rangers Review documents how he can cover a lot of ground, concluding that his best attribute is his ‘ability to receive between the lines’.

Against a Celtic team who will be equally up for this huge cup tie, Diomandé’s out-of-possession work rate and in-possession quality makes him a must in Röhl’s team.

This is especially the case given that Röhl is forecast to go with a 3-4-2-1 formation, up against Celtic’s midfield trio, giving the duo in there, likely to be Raskin and Diomandé, extra work and added responsibility.

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