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Pumas are now reportedly happy to let manager Efrain Juarez join Celtic, who could take full advantage of their former star’s secret release clause at the Mexican club.

The Bhoys once again struggled on the European stage in midweek, losing 3-1 against Midtjylland, as Martin O’Neill saw their problems in full for the first time. The interim boss has continued to distance himself from the permanent job, despite recent reports suggesting that he could yet be the next man to take the hotseat.

For now, the 73-year-old is set to remain in the dugout for Celtic’s Scottish Premiership clash against Kilmarnock this weekend, but Parkhead chiefs are continuing their search.

Recent reports have claimed that Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna is now open to joining the Scottish giants, but it remains to be seen whether he’d leave Portman Road in the middle of a campaign which has so far been disappointing.

Meanwhile, Nicky Hayen is also a reported candidate. The Club Brugge manager knows all about beating the top clubs in Scottish football, having smashed Rangers 9-1 on aggregate in the Champions League qualifiers earlier this season and defeated Celtic last season. Now, he could be on his way to the home dugout in Glasgow.

Once again, however, luring him away from Club Brugge will not be an easy task. Instead, the Hoops may have no choice but to turn towards former player Juarez, who has previously shared that he dreams of managing the club.

Pumas happy to let Juarez join Celtic

As reported in Mexico and relayed by Sport Witness, Pumas are now happy to let Juarez join Celtic, who could trigger a release clause that allows the 37-year-old to leave for free when a European club comes knocking.

Celtic discover extent of Callum Osmand injury that has "never happened to him before"

More bad news for the Bhoys.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 7, 2025

It would save Celtic a transfer fee and it would welcome someone who knows the standards of the club, given that Juarez played for the Bhoys between 2010 and 2012. Whether he has the right managerial experience for the role is another question, though, and the Scottish club may find that out after reportedly scheduling an interview over zoom.

The former player, who uses a 4-2-3-1 system, has taken charge of just two sides and is yet to even reach 100 games as a manager. At this point in time, it should be questioned whether Celtic can afford to take such a gamble.

Games

33

Wins

11

Draws

10

Defeats

12

Juarez’s time at Pumas hasn’t exactly been the greatest success, either. The Mexican has lost more games than he’s won and averaged just 1.3 points over 33 games in charge. It suddenly makes the club’s willingness to let him leave make all too much sense for Celtic to make their move.

For the time being, those at Celtic Park should trust O’Neill with the job until a suitable candidate emerges.

Celtic schedule first interview with Efrain Juarez

In an attempt to get fans back onside, the 49ers recently shared a key data comparison in defence of one of their summer signings at Rangers – comparing him to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Cavenagh backs Thelwell and Stewart

After missing out on Steven Gerrard and Kevin Muscat before eventually landing on Danny Rohl, Rangers chiefs Andrew Cavenagh, Kevin Thelwell and Patrick Stewart all met with fans to discuss the 49ers’ plans with the Gers going forward.

Rangers now battling to sign "fantastic" midfield talent in first signing for Rohl

The Gers have set their sights on the German’s first signing…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 21, 2025

The new owners have been met with plenty of criticism in recent weeks, with banners unveiled at Ibrox and the likes of Thelwell finding themselves at the centre of fan frustration following what looks like a disastrous summer transfer window. Now, however, the 49ers have had their chance to have their say and face up to a disgruntled crowd.

Hosting a fan session in an attempt to get supporters back onside, Cavenagh reiterated his backing for both Thelwell and Stewart even after recent mistakes.

The words are certainly positive, but those at Ibrox will now want to see action. They will be desperate to see new manager Rohl get off to the perfect start against Brann this Thursday and for one attacking talent to prove the 49ers right once and for all in Scotland.

Rangers compare Chermiti to Calvert-Lewin

Whilst they were quick to admit a number of mistakes, the 49ers also launched a defence for Youssef Chermiti. The summer arrival cost as much as £10m on deadline day, but is yet to score a goal for the club or show any signs of making his mark at Rangers.

The 49ers still back their striker, however, and even went as far as to compare him to former Everton star and current Leeds United forward Calvert-Lewin in their recent fan meeting, revealing the 6 foot 4 youngster is a physical specimen.

It’s a bold comparison but one that the 49ers have made based on physical data. Whether Chermiti proves them right is now the big question. At his very best, Calvert-Lewin scored 21 goals in all competitions for Everton in the 2020/21 season, but Rangers’ owners believe that their new striker could be better than that based on the data they’ve seen.

Bayern Munich’s plan to welcome back Jerome Boateng as an intern under Vincent Kompany has collapsed amid fan outrage over the former defender’s past conviction. The ex-German international, who had hoped to begin his coaching journey at the club where he won everything, has now stepped back, urging focus on Bayern’s success while he turns toward his A-license studies.

Bayern’s plan with Boateng and the fallout

Bayern had intended to bring Boateng back home in a mentorship role under Kompany. The plan was simple but symbolic as the 2014 World Cup winner, who spent a decade in Munich winning nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues, would begin his post-playing career where it all began, learning the ropes of management.

The club had approved the short internship as part of Boateng’s A-license certification, giving him hands-on experience with one of Europe’s top technical setups. Kompany, who shared a dressing room with Boateng at Manchester City, was said to be enthusiastic about having him join the staff in a developmental capacity.

However, what began as a low-key initiative quickly turned into a storm. Bayern fans launched protests, both online and at the Allianz Arena, condemning the decision and citing Boateng’s 2024 conviction for intentional bodily harm. Supporters unfurled banners reading: “No place for violence at Bayern,” and a petition titled: “Set boundaries against misogynistic violence” gained thousands of signatures within days. The growing backlash led Boateng and Bayern to jointly decide to cancel the arrangement.

AdvertisementAFPBoateng speaks out after fan's protest

For Boateng, the internship cancellation was a painful but calculated decision. The former Bayern centre-back, who had initially expressed joy at returning to Sabener Strasse, admitted that the controversy took a toll on him. Yet, in his words, his focus remains on rebuilding and contributing to football from another angle. 

In a message on Instagram, the defender announced: “After the recent discussions surrounding me, I’ve decided to focus on my topics – the A license, RYZR, and Arena2. That’s where my focus is right now, and your full focus should be solely on the pitch and the goal of continuing this impressive streak of 13 consecutive victories.”

Bayern echoed his sentiment in a statement on social media. The statement from the club said: “In a constructive exchange that FC Bayern and Jérôme Boateng had this week, it was decided that Jérôme Boateng will not be an intern at FC Bayern. Jérôme feels very connected to FC Bayern and does not want FC Bayern to suffer any damage due to the current controversial discussion surrounding him.”

The withdrawal helped defuse rising tensions with supporters, ensuring that the club’s image and fan unity remained intact. Yet the episode also reignited debate about rehabilitation in football and how former players with legal histories can rebuild their careers.

Boateng's legal saga and it's impact

The uproar around Boateng’s return stems from a six-year legal saga that shadowed the twilight of his playing career. The case dated back to July 2018, when Boateng was accused of assaulting his former partner, Sherin Senler, during a vacation in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Boateng consistently denied the allegations, but the case went through multiple appeals and retrials. In September 2021, a Munich court initially fined him €1.8 million, later reduced to €1.2 million after appeal. In July 2024, the final verdict imposed a suspended fine of €200,000 and ordered him to donate €100,000 to charity, though no criminal record was issued. The court emphasised protecting the couple’s daughters, calling them “the real victims” of the prolonged legal dispute.

While the case ended without jail time, its reputational impact was immense. The controversy affected Boateng’s final playing years, limiting his club prospects. After leaving Bayern in 2021, he had brief stints in France and Italy before retiring in 2025, closing a glittering chapter that included over 300 appearances, nine Bundesliga titles, six DFB-Pokals and two Champions League crowns.

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Getty Images SportWhat’s next for Boateng and Bayern?

Although the internship has been shelved, the Bavarians made it clear that the door to the club remains symbolically open. The management and Kompany personally thanked Boateng for his understanding, emphasising that his contributions to the club’s legacy would always be remembered.

Sources close to Bayern indicated that the original plan was for Boateng to shadow the coaching staff through early 2026, but fan sentiment made the move untenable. Kompany, meanwhile, has publicly supported the decision while urging focus on the team’s ongoing campaign.

Boateng, for his part, has pivoted his energy toward the next chapter, completing his UEFA A coaching license, expanding his athlete recovery company RYZR, and developing Arena2, a project focused on community-based sports performance.

“We are the same but different as well,” Bhuvneshwar Kumar says about his RCB fast-bowling partners Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-20253:10

Is is time to start dreaming for RCB fans?

Bhuvneshwar Kumar might be a little understated, but he is a bonafide IPL superstar. No quick bowler has taken more wickets than his 193 in the tournament, and only Yuzvendra Chahal (219 at the time of writing) stands in front of him in the overall list. And he has found ways to stay relevant in a fast-changing game by “being proactive – to be a step ahead of the batter”.His new/old team Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are having a season to remember, and part of the reason is the combination Bhuvneshwar has formed with Josh Hazlewood and Yash Dayal: between them, they have 40 wickets so far. RCB have also been the second-most economical bowling side at the death (overs 17 to 20) in IPL 2025, conceding runs at 10.23, a shade behind Mumbai Indians’ (MI) 10.22.”I am back in RCB after 16 years and I am very happy to be back,” Bhuvneshwar said in a video released by the franchise. “From the 2008-09 or 2010 season to now in 2025, things are very different. I had come in as a young player and now I have come back with so much more experience.Related

Bhuvneshwar has 'the perfect answer' for DC on tricky Delhi pitch

“If you talk about Yash and Josh, and the three of us – we are the same but different as well. If we talk about the aspects that are similar, the three of us can swing it. And then if you look at Josh Hazlewood, he has the height, and Yash is a left-arm pacer, which helps create a different angle altogether. And the best part is that all three of us can bowl at any stage of the game, and we have done it as well. These qualities help complement each other a lot.”And if you look back in the season, there have been times that I have not done well, but they have backed me up, or if someone hasn’t had a good day, the rest of the bowlers have stepped up. So we are complementing each other and it is a great sign.”Bhuvneshwar has had two good outings in Bengaluru this season, returning identical figures of 2 for 26 against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS), but both of those came in defeats for RCB when they were in the middle of a horror run at home. The big effort came in Delhi when he played a big role in RCB’s win by sending back KL Rahul, Ashutosh Sharma and Tristan Stubbs on his way to 3 for 33. Rahul and Ashutosh were felled in the 17th over and Stubbs in the 20th. In the 11 overs Bhuvneshwar has bowled at the death this season, he has five wickets and an economy rate of 10.09.”Death bowling is like an instinct. It depends on what is the situation of the match and what you are thinking as well,” Bhuvneshwar, the only bowler to have won the Purple Cap in successive seasons – 2016 and 2017 – said. “When there are team meetings, you plan things in a particular way. But a lot of times, you do it differently on the ground, because that instinct kicks in.”Sometimes there is a very normal situation going on, but you have an instinct that the batter is going to do something different. So that’s when we call it being proactive – to be a step ahead of the batter. There are times when it doesn’t work, but as long as you are proactive and you are getting the batter to do the things you want, you will be on top of the game.”

Tawanda Muyeye and Ben Compton both hit centuries as Kent coasted to an eight-wicket run win over Middlesex in the Rothesay County Championship at Canterbury on Sunday.Muyeye made a fluent unbeaten 125 and Compton a stylish 124 not out in a record-breaking partnership worth 225, after England’s Zak Crawley showed a glimpse of form with 58, having being dropped on nought.Earlier Middlesex were all out for 311, setting Kent what looked like a stiff target of 316 to win. Ben Geddes made 75 and Zafar Gohar contributed 57 down the order, but Gohar was the only visiting bowler to enjoy any success, claiming two wickets in two balls to reduce Kent to 91 for 2. That, however, was as good as it got for the visitors and Compton hit the winning single with 5.4 overs of day three remaining.Middlesex began the day in a strong position on 222 for 6 and with a 226-run lead in the bank, but they lost Geddes early when he pulled Jack Leaning to the backward square leg boundary and was caught by a tumbling Joey Evison, having added just two to his overnight score.Blake Cullen made a useful 22 and saw off eight overs of the new ball before he edged Grant Stewart to Daniel Bell-Drummond at first slip.Stewart then got Toby Roland-Jones lbw for a fifth-ball duck but the last wicket duo of Gohar and Henry Brookes milked the bowlers for 39 runs.Gohar pulled Gilchrist for a huge six to take the lead past 300 and only perished when he cut the same bowler to Jas Singh on the backward point boundary.There was an eerie silence when Crawley, on nought in the first over, edged Roland-Jones to Geddes, who dropped him at third slip. He then drove Roland-Jones for successive fours, edged one through gully, clipped a six over midwicket and looked largely unmolested on his way to the fifty he reached by sweeping Gohar to third man for four.Gohar, however, undid him in his next over, with a ball that pitched near middle and spun back to hit his off stump. Bell-Drummond went to the very next ball, bowled by a delivery that pitched outside and hit off. Yet Muyeye blocked the hat-trick ball and at tea Kent looked favourites on 164 for 2.A pitch that looked so demonic on day one seemed to have been exorcised. Gohar switched ends and switched back again. Muyeye creamed Brookes for a six over square leg that ended up in the car park and drove Gafar through mid-off to reach his hundred.Bowling at Compton’s head proved futile and he cut Gohar through point for four to reach three figures, by which stage Middlesex seemed drained of hope.Muyeye seemed in a hurry to get it done in three days, dumping Gohar into the upper deck of the Cowdrey stand for a huge six.It was the highest ever third-wicket partnership for Kent v Middlesex, eclipsing the 196 made by both Bob Wilson and Colin Cowdrey in 1954 and David Fulton and Matt Walker in 2004.Compton staked his claim for a place in Kent’s Blast side by hitting the same bowler for a maximum over long-on, for only the sixth six of his career and he had the honour of hitting the winning run when he nudged Nathan Fernandes through mid-off.

Sir Alex Ferguson was rarely afraid to spend big to improve his historic Manchester United sides, from welcoming Rio Ferdinand to splashing the cash on Robin Van Persie. But there was one player that he decided against spending big on, going on to dub his transfer “ridiculous”.

Whilst the modern Man United have often got things wrong in the transfer market, there was a time when they got almost every incoming spot on. The same club that recently spent big on Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund and others previously secured transfer coups such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Dimitar Berbatov. It was the well-oiled machine that those at Old Trafford can only dream of in 2025.

Rio Ferdinand

£40m

Sebastian Veron

£37m

Dimitar Berbatov

£33m

Wayne Rooney

£32m

Anderson

£27m

Out of his five most-expensive arrivals, only Anderson failed to impress under Ferguson. The legendary manager got the best out of Ferdinand, Veron, Berbatov and Rooney, who are all now Old Trafford legends.

Those deals also highlighting just how much the market has changed. The five most expensive signings in that era total just over £150m, which is less than Man United spent this summer to welcome Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens.

Whether those four arrivals signal a change in fortune for Old Trafford arrivals is the big question. If they get any near the legacies of Berbatov, Rooney, Veron and Ferdinand then Ruben Amorim’s side may finally find themselves back in European contention and more.

Of course, though, that’s not to say that Ferguson always got things right. Looking back, he may have at least one transfer regret after he dubbed one deal “ridiculous”.

Ferguson slammed "ridiculous" £6m agent fee

As the tide was changing around 2012, the Red Devils had the chance to sign what proved to be a game-changing signing for Chelsea in none other than Eden Hazard, only for Ferguson to slam the transfer as “ridiculous”. Hazard’s agent, John Bico, demanded a larger than usual payment of £6m, seperate from Hazard’s roughly £30m club-to-club fee, to which Fergie refused. The Red Devils signed Shinji Kagawa instead.

Of course, as we now know, Hazard went on to become a Premier League legend and one of the most exciting players that Stamford Bridge has ever seen.

Moreover, if there were any concerns that the Belgian was not worth the £6m agent fee, then the fact that Chelsea sold him to Real Madrid for as much as £89m should put those to bed, albeit that fee is one of the transactions the Blues may yet face punishment for after a recent FA charge.

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1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 13, 2025

Indeed, Chelsea have been hit with 74 charges related to agent payments, and whether the legality of the siutation was the reason United did not match Chelsea in the race to sign Hazard will now be a prominent question.

South Australia’s triumphant cricketers are setting their sights on an historic double. After soaking up their success in winning the one-day title, Nathan McSweeney’s team now want a long-elusive Sheffield Shield.McSweeney led SA to its first one-day title in 13 years with a comprehensive 64-run defeat of Victoria at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night. The double of a winning a one-day crown and the Shield in the same season has been achieved 11 times – but never by SA.Related

• Morris set for rare back-to-back Shield games as WA press for another final

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• McSweeney, Scott and Thornton end South Australia's 13-year trophy wait

Western Australia (five times), NSW (four times) and Victoria (twice) have completed the double. But McSweeney knows his adopted state, for so long the proverbial whipping boys of the domestic scene, may never have a better chance than now.”It’s a little bit of a monkey off the back,” McSweeney said after collecting the inaugural Dean Jones Trophy. “We’ll enjoy it but there’s a bigger picture – there’s a Shield final to play. Everyone loves winning. And for us to get a taste of it, hopefully it kick-starts us – I don’t think we’ll get sick of it.”SA haven’t won a Shield since 1995-96 but currently lead the four-day competition and are in prime position to host the final. With two games remaining, offering six points for each win, McSweeney’s team hold an 11-point break from next-best NSW. And McSweeney believes SA’s 50-over success will feed into the four-day format.

States to complete domestic double

Western Australia: 5 (1976-77, 1977-78, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24)

New South Wales: 4 (1984-85, 1992-93, 1993-94, 2002-03)

Victoria: 2 (1979-80, 2018-19)

*Domestic one-day tournament started in 1969-70

“It has obviously been a long time between titles,” he said. “The players we’ve got in our stable now have shown over the last couple years that we can do it.”It’s just, unfortunately, we had a bad hour in a Shield game or we had a bad hour in a one-day game and it has taken us out of the competition. We’re getting a little bit more consistent, as seen in the Shield table as well. So hopefully it’s the start of some strong years and it’s not just a one-off.”McSweeney said Ryan Harris, who replaced Jason Gillespie as SA’s head coach for this season, deserved much credit.”Something Ryan Harris has brought in to us is the belief,” he said. “We have defended 160 twice this year in the one-day comp. We got bowled out for 90 in the last Shield game and won. From positions that we shouldn’t be winning, we are. It’s a massive hats off to Ryano and the coaching staff.”

One Newcastle United star has been left gutted after what he describes as a personal “setback” in the 3-2 Premier League loss to Liverpool.

Howe addresses Isak’s Newcastle future after Liverpool defeat

Much of the focus around Newcastle’s meeting with Liverpool on Monday evening centred around the future of Alexander Isak, with the forward once again absent from Eddie Howe’s side.

The Reds have been looking to sign the striker this summer and have even had a £110m bid turned down by those at St James’ Park, with Isak looking to force a move to Anfield.

On the pitch, Newcastle battled back from Anthony Gordon’s red card and were 2-0 down to Arne Slot’s side, but goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Will Osula looked to have won the Magpies a point before 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha came off the bench to snatch victory deep into stoppage time.

Asked about Isak after the defeat, Howe admitted he and his team need “clarity” regarding the striker’s future.

“I’ve not been party to talks on this for a long time now. I’ve been preparing the team and giving all my energy to the players that want to play for Newcastle. I think that is where my energy is best put at the moment. We want clarity, we want to move forward, we want the narrative to change because we’re in the start of the season now.

“We’re into the action and we’ve got to get results, and we’ve got to try to focus on what we can control. We’ve given two really, really good performances, we’ve ended up with one point. That’s tough for us to take, especially in this moment where you’re looking for positives to cling to. But we battle through and we now go on to Leeds.”

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Posts ByLewis Thompson Aug 26, 2025 Newcastle star Gordon apologises to Van Dijk

Meanwhile, taking to social media platform Instagram, Gordon apologised to his Newcastle team-mates and Virgil van Dijk for the challenge which cost him a red card in Monday night’s defeat.

Sent off after a VAR review shortly before half-time, Gordon said:

Starting in a central role with Isak still out, Gordon will now miss games against Leeds United, Wolves and Bournemouth, returning to Premier League action against Arsenal at the end of September.

Celtic have not made many headline-making signings during the summer transfer window so far, but the return of Kieran Tierney has been the exception.

The Scotland international has returned to Parkhead after six years down south with Arsenal, putting pen to paper on a permanent deal after his deal at The Emirates expired at the start of this month.

Tierney has played four times in pre-season for the Scottish Premiership champions and registered an assist for Liam Scales in the 4-0 win over Newcastle United.

Celtic supporters can get excited about the prospect of watching the attack-minded left-back bombing up and down the left flank to make an impact in the final third next season.

However, it remains to be seen who will be playing ahead of him on the left wing on a regular basis, whether Daizen Maeda starts on the left or plays through the middle as a number nine.

Celtic hope for bargain deal for new winger

The Scottish giants are in the market to add another left-sided attacker to their squad before the end of the summer transfer window, and are keen on a star who would love Tierney.

Transfer Focus

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

According to the Daily Record, Celtic are refusing to give up on their long-standing pursuit of Royal Antwerp attacker Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

The report claims that the Belgian forward is out of contract next summer and that the Hoops hope to land a ‘cut-price’ deal for him, as the ‘cash-strapped’ Pro League side are open to selling.

However, Royal Antwerp have been reluctant to budge on their £5m valuation of the winger and negotiations are seemingly ongoing to find a middle ground.

The Daily Record adds that Balikwisha has been identified as a top target for the Hoops, and it is now down to them to reach an agreement with the Belgian side.

Why Michel-Ange Balikwisha would love Kieran Tierney

If Celtic can strike a deal for the 24-year-old forward, Balikwisha and Tierney could form an exciting connection down the left flank for Brendan Rodgers next season.

As shown by the left-back’s assist tally of 37 from his first spell at the club, the Scotland international is a full-back who loves to go down the outside to deliver crosses and create goals by holding the width.

This means that Tierney is the perfect foil for a left-sided attacker who wants to cut inside onto their right foot, because his energetic runs down the flank can draw attention away from the winger by giving the opposition’s defender an extra player to think about.

Therefore, Balikwisha could take advantage of that potential overload, depending on how much the other team’s right winger wants to track back, to either play Tierney into the space out wide or to dribble inside with the ball to exploit the space that the left-back’s run could create.

Starts

27

12

xG

6.46

2.65

Goals

7

4

Big chances created

6

7

Key passes per game

1.5

1.6

Assists

5

3

Based on the Belgian dynamo’s form in the Pro League in the last two seasons, as shown in the table above, the £5m-rated star could make a fairly big impact in the final third by playing with the former Arsenal man.

Balikwisha, who was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin, has the quality to deliver both goals and assists for his side from the left flank, as he outperformed his xG and averaged 1.5 key passes or more per game across two years in his home country.

These statistics show that coupling him with Tierney down the left will cause the opposition’s right-back plenty of problems, whilst also forcing the other team’s manager to have to pull players from other positions to come and double up on them, possibly creating overloads elsewhere on the park.

Celtic make contact to sign promising star who could be Ajer 2.0

Celtic have made an enquiry about a young star who could be a Kristoffer Ajer repeat for the club.

1 ByDan Emery Jul 22, 2025

Therefore, signing Balikwisha could be a move that makes a lot of sense for Celtic and one that could be very effective for their left side next season.

Leeds United have now advanced talks to sign a £17m star who’s “one of the best in Europe” in his position, and they are tempted to trigger his release clause, according to a report.

Leeds in no rush to sign new goalkeeper

With Illan Meslier making a catalogue of errors last season, you may expect those at Elland Road will be eager to bring in a new goalkeeper, but Sky Sports News reporters Zinny Boswell and Keith Downie have revealed the Championship title-winners are prioritising other positions.

“Leeds United are in no rush to sign a goalkeeper as they assess potential targets. They have a long list of options, which includes Lyon’s Lucas Perri and Torino’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

“A goalkeeper would not need the same amount of time to settle in to Daniel Farke’s system, which is why the club are prioritising outfield players earlier in the window.”

Leeds submit £12m bid to sign "unbelievable" player, personal terms agreed

The Whites are “pushing” to complete a deal for a midfielder.

1

By
Dominic Lund

Jul 8, 2025

However, with a deal for Gabriel Gudmundsson over the line, the Whites now appear to have turned their attention towards bringing in a replacement for Meslier, with talks to sign a new goalkeeper recently progressing.

That is according to a report from Italy, which states Leeds are now tempted to pay the release clause in Milinkovic-Savic’s contract, which amounts to slightly over €20m (£17m) for clubs outside the Serie A.

The clause is available until the end of the month, so there is no urgent need for the newly-promoted side to make a move, but they will be wary of rival interest in the goalkeeper, with Serie A winners Napoli also being named as potential suitors.

Talks have advanced recently, but Daniel Farke’s side are still unsure whether they should cough up the £17m, and the situation should be monitored closely over the next few days.

Milnkovic-Savic among the "best" goalkeepers in Europe

Torino president Urbano Cairo holds the Serbian in very high regard, saying: “Milinkovic-Savic has a release clause in his contract, but these are things that can be changed. He’s a great goalkeeper, one of the best in Europe, and has improved so much.”

It is clear to see why the 28-year-old is so highly-rated too, having performed extremely well across a number of key statistics for goalkeepers over the past year.

Statistic	Average per 90
Save percentage	77.5% (93rd percentile)
Goals against	1.14 (75th percentile)
Save % (penalties)	57.1% (91st percentile)
Touches	46.95 (98th percentile)

As shown, the Spain-born goalkeeper is particularly impressive at stopping penalties, having made a number of key saves during his time with Torino in the Serie A.

Milinkovic-Savic could be a fantastic signing for Leeds, who certainly need to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, given that Meslier may not be trusted by Farke, having been dropped for the promotion run-in during the climax of the 2024-25 season.