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Celtic have submitted an offer for Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Celtic linked with Barkley move

The Hoops’ transfer business may not be done just yet, with Ange Postecoglou thought to be chasing one more midfielder and one more attacking option.

Barkley is a player who has been linked with an audacious switch to Parkhead, having been deemed surplus to requirements by Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.

The 28-year-old only made one start in the Premier League for the Blues last season, and although some members of the media have claimed a move to Glasgow won’t happen, a fresh report suggests it could truly be on.

The Latest: ‘Shock’ offer

According to Football Insider, Celtic have ‘submitted an offer’ for Barkley and ‘Postecoglou has given the green light to a shock swoop’.

A season-long loan deal for the 33-time capped England international is mooted, and while the Hoops cannot afford his £120,000 per week wages in full, they have offered to ‘pay a significant portion’ of his salary.

The Verdict: Hugely exciting news

Barkley could be an outstanding signing for Celtic, possessing the technical quality and unpredictability to light up Parkhead with an injection of end product into the attacking midfield ranks.

The former Everton prodigy himself has said in the past that he wants to be considered ‘world-class’, while Joe Cole has described him as ‘fantastic’ and a ‘top, top’ player in the recent past, and although it hasn’t worked out at Stamford Bridge there is certainly talent ready to be unleashed.

Barkley has 60 goal contributions to his name in the Premier League and 77 in total for club and country, which is a testament to his class, and at 28, there is no reason why he can’t perform at his peak for Celtic this season.

Nottingham Forest’s Omar Richards will miss the first few weeks of the Premier League season, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Richards’ injury

Earlier this month, it was announced that Forest had completed the signing of the 24-year-old left-back from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in a deal worth £10m.

Following his arrival at the City Ground, Richards failed to feature in the side’s pre-season campaign.

As per BBC Sport, manager Steve Cooper revealed that his new signing had suffered a leg injury that will keep him on the sidelines for an extended period.

Cooper ruled out the possibility of a broken leg, but there are fears that the defender has suffered a hairline fracture.

The Latest: Dinnery’s claim

Dinnery believes that Richards’ injury may be the result of the increased workload at his new club.

Speaking with Football Insider, the injury expert claimed:

“I’m reading between the lines in terms of the timeline.

“The stress fracture is something that can happen after a big change, an increase in volume and intensity in training. These are all risk factors, particularly with the tibia because there’s a lot of weight going through it.

“He is a young lad who hasn’t had a lot of minutes in recent seasons. He wanted to come and prove himself. When you’re coming from a club with such prestige, there is added expectation.

“In hindsight, maybe they could have done some things a little bit different. Then again, it could just be one of those things.

“It’s a nightmare for him and difficult for Forest, especially given that their squad is already stretched. It’s going to hit them hard to not have him available at least for the first several game weeks.”

The Verdict: Big loss

When looking at Richards’ underlying stats, it is clear to see how big of a loss his injury will be to Cooper’s Forest side.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the left-back ranks in the 99th percentile for pressures and tackles, and in the 98th percentile for pass completion rate, dribbles completed and progressive passes received.

With Cooper currently preparing for his team’s Premier League opener against Newcastle next Saturday, Richards’ injury will knock his plans when it comes to choosing his starting XI.

Newcastle United had one standout figure in their squad last season on whom they relied to make things happen from an attacking point of view – Allan Saint-Maximin.

With five goals and five assists to his name, no other Toon player could match the number of goal contributions for the team that the French winger accrued.

In fact, the attacker also topped the list for number of shots taken (64), shots on target (26), shot-creating actions (114) and successful dribbles (140) at the Tyneside club. This highlights just how important the 25-year-old is for Eddie Howe’s side in an attacking sense.

With the summer transfer window still open, the next few weeks could give Howe the chance to bring in a player who could not only take some of the attacking workload away from Saint-Maximin, but also create a devilish partnership with him at the same time.

One player who has been mentioned with a move to St James’ Park and who could fit this bill is Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio.

Despite predominantly playing on the left wing throughout his career, the Spaniard has also been known to play as an attacking midfielder and on the right flank, the sort of versatility which could make it easy for Howe to get him into the same team as Saint-Maximin.

With 49 goals and 24 assists to his name in 235 appearances for Real Madrid, this shows just how similar he is to the current Toon attacker in terms of not only being able to score goals but set them up for his team-mates as well.

To further highlight his attacking talent, in his 137 La Liga outings since the start of the 2017/18 season, the 26-year-old has racked up 309 shot-creating actions, 215 shots at goal, 126 successful dribbles and 270 crosses.

Hailed as a “magical” player by Casemiro, Asensio would surely be an excellent addition to Newcastle’s squad and give lots of opposition defenders nightmares, especially playing alongside Saint-Maximin.

If an opportunity to sign the £117k-per-week winger arises before the transfer window ends, the Magpies should not be reluctant in trying to secure a deal for him.

AND in other news: PIF plotting NUFC bid for £211k-p/w target, he’d be “one of the best” summer signings

Celtic have received no offers for right-back Josip Juranovic and have no intention of selling him this summer, reliable journalist Anthony Joseph has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Juranovic linked with Hoops exit

While the Hoops are focusing on making signings in the summer transfer window as they prepare for life in the Champions League group stages, they could also struggle to keep hold of certain players.

One of those is Juranovic, with the Croatian linked with a move to Atletico Madrid in recent days, as Diego Simeone looks to bring in a new right-back after the January departure of Kieran Trippier.

Despite the rumours of a switch to one of Europe’s elite however, it appears as though the 26-year-old could yet stay put at Parkhead.

The Latest: Joseph provides positive update

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Joseph claimed that no bids have come in for Juranovic and that Celtic want to keep hold of him beyond the summer:

“UPDATE: Celtic are aware that many clubs are interested in signing right-back Josip Juranovic. However, they have not received any offers for the Croatia international and they do not want to sell him this summer. It would take a huge bid from a club for that stance to change.”

The Verdict: Key player moving forward

Juranovic has been such a steady performer for Celtic since arriving from Legia Warsaw last summer, playing his part in their Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup triumphs.

He scored three times in 26 league starts as well as two strikes in European action, while defensively he excelled even further, finishing the 2021/22 campaign with an average of 1.4 tackles and 1.5 clearances per game.

The hope is that Celtic hold firm with Juranovic and don’t allow him to leave – if not, Ange Postecoglou will need to look at bringing in fresh competition for Anthony Ralston for next season.

According to a Spanish outlet, Liverpool are interested in signing Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio this summer.

The Lowdown: Klopp’s high ambitions

Despite the recent arrival of Darwin Nunez, Jurgen Klopp may feel that he wants to bolster his attacking ranks even further with the imminent departure of Sadio Mane looming, and the boss will need plenty of squad depth if he wants to aim for that unprecedented quadruple again next season.

The 26-year-old Asensio still has just over 12 months remaining on his contract with the Spanish giants, but has reportedly been told that he can leave the Bernabeu, and it looks like Carlo Ancelotti’s side want to cash in now, rather than letting the winger leave as a free agent.

The Latest: Liverpool ‘main bidders’ for Asensio

In a fresh article published by Spanish newspaper Sport (via TEAMtalk), it’s claimed that Liverpool are ‘one of six’ potential suitors exploring the option of signing Asensio, with the Reds, alongside fellow Premier League rivals Arsenal, being the current ‘main bidders’ in the English top-flight.

The source further states that Madrid are seeking £51.7m for the sale of their man, but would be willing to let him go for a fee in the region of £43m if the opportunity was suitable.

The Verdict: Not a necessity

The Spaniard will no doubt find it difficult to sometimes compete with the likes of Vinicius Jnr and Eden Hazard for a place in the Real starting XI, and with just a year left on his deal, it makes sense that he’s edging close to an exit.

Asensio, who was once dubbed a “quality” player by Ancelotti, and has even been likened to Lionel Messi, managed to score ten goals within the space of 31 La Liga appearances last season, as per Transfermarkt, but his price tag will surely be too much for the Reds to afford at this moment in time.

Having just splashed out an £85m club-record fee for Nunez, Liverpool won’t be in a position where they will want to go out and spend big money on attackers unless absolutely necessary, and whilst the 29-cap international is a highly-talented and versatile forward, the front line isn’t an area of the pitch that desperately needs to be added to right now.

In other news… Spanish press believe that Liverpool have already made their move for a new midfield maestro.

Ruben Neves is widely expected to leave Wolves this summer after five years at the club, but the Old Gold may already have an ideal replacement in their ranks.

While Morgan Gibbs-White is the name on many Wolves fans’ lips after his impressive loan spell in the Championship with Sheffield United, there was another Molineux academy prospect doing the business with St Mirren in Scotland.

Connor Ronan has managed just 13 first-team appearances in nearly eight years at the Midlands club, having joined from Rochdale’s academy as a teenager.

The 24-year-old has endured a plethora of loan spells away from Wolves without ever really being given an opportunity in the first team at Molineux.

The Irish midfielder failed to set the world alight in the EFL, struggling for regular game-time in spells at Portsmouth, Blackpool and Walsall, with frankly bizarre stints at Dunajska Streda and Grasshopper Zurich also featuring on the youngster’s CV.

However, last season saw him find his feet in Scotland with St Mirren, where he was a key player for the Buddies throughout the season. He made 30 appearances in total, in which he contributed an impressive eight goals and five assists, despite Stephen Robinson’s side finishing ninth from 12 in the Premiership table.

His performances in Scotland, which included some spectacular goals, were enough to see him win the Player of the Year and Goal of the Season awards, so he will surely return to Wolves in a confident mood ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

Bruno Lage certainly has a decision to make on the 24-year-old, as another loan spell surely wouldn’t be beneficial to anyone. With Neves potentially on his way out, the Portuguese boss will need another creative midfielder in his squad.

Ronan can certainly offer that, as then-caretaker boss David Dunn testified during his time on loan at Blackpool by saying: “I thought he was excellent last week at AFC Wimbledon as well, he’s got such a good touch. He makes things happen for us.”

Although Gibbs-White has certainly done enough to warrant a spot in the first-team squad next season with his performances for the Blades, scoring 12 goals in the Championship, he is also being linked with a move away from Molineux, and Lage may well end up turning to Ronan as the heir to Neves’ throne.

In other news… Lage set to axe “unplayable” Wolves monster, it’s the right call

Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has backed Liverpool to complete a surprising swap deal involving Sadio Mane and Serge Gnabry this summer.

The Lowdown: Both players out of contract next year

The 30-year-old is approaching the final 12 months of his current contract at Anfield, and according to Sky Germany, Bayern Munich are interested in signing the Reds forward during the upcoming transfer window.

Gnabry’s deal with the German giants at the Allianz is also set to expire at the end of next season, and following reports that he is considering a Bundesliga exit amid interest from potential suitors around Europe, this has created the possibility of an exchange between clubs, if both players do indeed leave their current teams.

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The Latest: Swap deal on the table?

When asked during an interview with Football Insider whether or not there could be any good value in a swap deal for the Merseyside outfit, Campbell said it would be a ‘great signing’.

“That could be worth pursuing.

“Gnabry is going to be a sought-after player this summer. I know there is a lot of clubs who like him.

“He is a player who will be hotly pursued because he is still relatively young. We are talking about a Germany international who can play on either side, score goals, is quick and direct.

“He would be a great signing for Liverpool. There will be a lot of competition for Gnabry though. I think Arsenal would like to speak to him if there is an opportunity.”

The Verdict: Would be a shock to lose Mane

There’s no doubt that Gnabry would be a great signing for any team considering how much of a threat he can pose in the final third, having already found the back of the net 17 times and registered ten assists across all competitions for Bayern so far this season, as per Transfermarkt.

However, despite not getting any younger, Mane would be a huge loss to Jurgen Klopp, as he has been part of the furniture in the Reds’ starting XI since joining in a £34m move from Southampton back in 2016.

During his time at Anfield, the Senegalese superstar has made a staggering 267 club appearances and has recorded 167 goal contributions, and even though the likes of Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota have now provided serious competition for places upfront, Mane still has a hugely integral role to play in leading the line for Liverpool for at least a few more years to come.

In other news… an exciting Reds youngster looks set to leave the club this summer.

Before the sides meet on Saturday, here are some answers that can help Bangladesh understand England 2.0 better

Mohammad Isam in Cardiff07-Jun-2019What’s this ‘new’ England we keep hearing about?England are more or less the same team that Bangladesh faced in the 2017 Champions Trophy, except they have become cricket’s hottest property over the last year or so, trying to score off every ball, ideally fours or sixes, and that too, with more than a dash of style. They also attack on the field, making good use of the short ball.England have come into the World Cup as favourites, having won 14 out of 19 ODI series since 2016, including the one in Bangladesh in late 2016. Most of those players form the core of the current side, which also includes newcomer Jofra Archer who has not only pace, but also…Hold on, Bangladesh gave him one of his first big breaks!Since his first overseas T20 stint in the BPL for Khulna Titans in 2017, Archer has become one of the world’s most sought-after cricketers. The ECB changed its eligibility criteria for the qualification period to facilitate Archer’s World Cup selection. His bowling skills apart, he is a gun fielder and also has a first-class century.Okay, we know enough about Archer. Tell us about the othersThey also have Mark Wood, who can crank up the speed gun at will. Liam Plunkett and Chris Woakes haven’t troubled Bangladesh in the past but are capable of causing some damage. Adil Rashid fared badly against Pakistan at Trent Bridge – he conceded 43 from five overs – and might make way for Plunkett.But it’s not about their bowlers. It’s the batsmen. They have been on fire. It’s their transformation into an attacking unit that has made England the pre-tournament favourites. They have come a long way since the 2015 World Cup…Jofra Archer bowled with venom, picking up three key wickets•Getty Images… when Bangladesh knocked them outThat was then. Six players from that XI no longer play ODIs. Captain Morgan, their middle-order mainstay, has done damage against Bangladesh in the past. Buttler, whom Bangladesh managed to annoy back in 2016, is being seen as a potential Player of the Tournament. Woakes, who went for plenty in that Adelaide game four years ago, has also managed to remain a new-ball threat.But, if you remember, England haven’t beaten Bangladesh in the last two World Cups…Certainly. Before Adelaide, there was the Mahmudullah heist in 2011, where he added 58 for the ninth wicket with Shafiul Islam to snatch a two-wicket win. It was also the match where Graeme Swann got into an argument with an umpire over a refused ball change and was fined, along with captain Andrew Strauss. England, however, were a very different side then.And so were Bangladesh. But over the last four years, Bangladesh have won more matches against higher-ranked sides than ever before. Like England, they have also learned how to hold on to the momentum in a match, and have also formed a core group of players who have been playing together for a long time.Yes, the 2016 tour was fun. Both the ODI and Test series were competitive, although there were security concerns.Had England not toured then, Bangladesh would have struggled to call any other country to tour them, and that could have had a spiralling effect on the cricket team too.It has certainly been an interesting time between the two teams. It is a pity that they don’t play each other more regularly.Don’t get started on that. England have only played four ODIs against Bangladesh since the 2015 World Cup.Oh, then Bangladesh should look to make a big statement in Cardiff.Well, how many big statements do the ECB need? You’re right about Cardiff, though. Bangladesh have a knack of pulling off miracles here.Certainly. Beating Australia side in 2005, and then Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah making centuries against New Zealand from 33 for 4 in the Champions Trophy two years ago, are both right up there. But beating this England side would mean an almost miraculous bowling effort from an attack that has lately been low on confidence.Not many teams have been able to crack England at home, especially with their prolific ODI run-scoring. They also seem to want to become the first team to reach 500 runs in an ODI innings.Right.No, seriously! More than half their 300-plus scores in ODIs have come after the 2015 World Cup. England have made four of the last five 400-plus totals. Bangladesh have managed to raise their team run rate from 4.71 in ODIs (until the 2015 World Cup) to 4.89 and will be aiming for a big total in Cardiff too.Well, good luck with that. But it is still Bangladesh playing against in a World Cup, and that too in .They never said it would be easy.

Yuvraj Singh has thrilled fans over the years. Which of his ODI performances is your favourite?

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2017

Put forward as a potential Test opener, Alex Hales has endured a miserable run before the squad is anounced. But will the selectors look beyond his limited-overs form?

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford 13-Sep-2015

Alex Hales managed just 56 runs in six innings against Australia•Associated Press

Alex Hales was one of the players who had most to gain from this one-day series. A strong return would have strengthened his case to be called into the Test squad for the Pakistan series next month.That call may still come – the squad will be named on Tuesday – but his poor series against Australia, where he tallied 53 runs in five innings, has come at an unhelpful time for him despite England’s increasing desire to view the Test and one-day games completely separately.”What will happen is that some people will come into one-day cricket and do really well and might get themselves into the Test side. But we’re not using one-day cricket as a vehicle for Test cricket,” Paul Farbrace, England’s assistant coach, said after the series-levelling win at Headingley.So Hales can take solace from the possibility that the selectors will view his first-class returns for this season – an impressive 1015 runs at 53.42 – as more important than his one-day output. And, really, why wouldn’t they when they are picking a Test squad? In some ways this series should have done more damage to Hales’ one-day prospects than any chance of earning a first Test cap alongside Alastair Cook in Abu Dhabi.Take a look at his Championship season. His two standout innings have come against the strongest attacks in the country: 236 against Yorkshire (Bresnan, Brooks, although no Sidebottom) and 189 against Warwickshire (Wright, Rankin, Clarke and Barker). If Championship cricket is to mean anything, that has to be worth something.But, still, timing – and perception – can mean even more. This series was the chance to reinforce that Hales is able to take the step up, especially when facing the sort of pace that is not seen in domestic cricket. There is the contrast with James Taylor who scored a maiden hundred at No. 3 and, although not competing with Hales for the same position, has a good chance of going to the UAE.There has been an uncomfortable manner to Hales’ dismissals in the limited-overs matches. Twice he was beaten for pace by full deliveries from Pat Cummins, in the T20 and at Headingley. In the deciding one-dayer at Old Trafford he nibbled at the lesser speed of John Hastings having barely middled a shot.England’s decision on who will open during the winter is made trickier by the nature of the two series: Pakistan in UAE and South Africa on their home turf. They are shaping as two contrasting challenges for those at the top of the order. They could go horse-for-courses, for example the Moeen Ali route, but that would be mean more chopping and changing.Facing the new ball may be place to bat in the UAE. It is not that Pakistan are without high-quality pacemen – far from it, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan can all pose problems, especially if the Wahab from Adelaide in the World Cup, when he worked over Shane Watson, shows up – but the ball coming on to the bat could be preferable to when the spinners get into action.After that, however, comes Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel on their patch. That will not be for a faint heart, or a dodgy technique. If the signs from Hales facing Cummins in this series are to be taken as an indicator, Steyn could be a step too far.It might sound harsh to judge on a single one-day series, but you can take Hales’ ODI career to date and see it is underwhelming. He has been harshly treated at times, yet an average of 21.47 from 19 innings is not a sample size to be completely ignored.When the India seamers began finding the gap between his bat and pad last summer the selectors became nervous and he only featured at the back-end of the World Cup when others had failed. He returned against New Zealand and was more comfortable against their pace attack, but has looked progressively worse with each innings against Australia.England’s attempt to find an opening partner for Cook has taken in a variety of options: the county pro who churned out the runs (Nick Compton and Michael Carberry), the younger model who has shone (Sam Robson), the experienced international (Jonathan Trott) and the more attacking route (Adam Lyth).Hales would come into another category – the player who firstly made a name for himself in limited-overs cricket before knuckling down at the red-ball game. So there would be a certain irony if poor one-day returns proved a deciding factor.Ultimately, it could come down to a gut feeling. Those who have watched Hales’ vast Championship innings have often spoken of a player who ‘looks’ ready for Test cricket. If James Whitaker, Mick Newell and Angus Fraser – England’s selection panel – feel the same way they should go that route. Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan had considerably lower first-class averages when they were first selected.One interesting dynamic, though, will be what Trevor Bayliss’ thoughts are. He will not have seen Hales in red-ball cricket. He will need to be guided by the selectors which is, of course, their job. If Hales is the man to get the nod, it will be further evidence of how England are divorcing the formats but it will also be a test of nerve. For all concerned.