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According to The Daily Record, Celtic have agreed a deal in principle to sign Australian wonderkid Daniel Arzani on a two-year loan deal after he completes his move to Manchester City.

What’s the story?

The 19-year-old left-winger is currently at A-League side Melbourne City, who are fellow members of the City Football Group and means that the Manchester side will be able to secure the talented youngster on a cut-price deal.

His two goals and three assists in the league last season barely reflect his gifted technical ability and talent on the ball.

Having been born in Iran, Arzani represents Australia at international level and was the youngest player at this summer’s World Cup. He was included in the squad after making his debut in a friendly against the Czech Republic at the start of June.

He then scored his first international goal in the next World Cup warm-up match against Hungary, securing his place on the plane to Russia where he appeared as a substitute in all three of Australia’s matches.

Hijacking the deal in principle

Although The Daily Record reports that top-level discussions have taken place between Man City and Celtic officials, Arzani’s move to Manchester has not been confirmed yet and there could still be time for a club to jump in on the deal.

Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough were recently linked with a £10m move for Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo by The Irish Sun, but if they could secure Arzani on a two-year loan deal it would represent much better value as they attempt to secure promotion from the Championship.

Karanka has already made 10 signings so far this summer, some with the help of super agent Jorge Mendes, and hijacking Celtic’s rumoured deal could provide them with one of the world’s top talents.

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Leeds United have won both of their opening matches of the season against Bolton Wanderers and Port Vale – in the Championship and Carabao Cup respectively – as new manager Thomas Christiansen looks to lead the club back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004.

A 3-2 win against the Trotters was the ideal start to their league campaign while Samu Saiz – one of many summer arrivals – scored an impressive hat-trick against Port Vale at Elland Road on Wednesday night.

Christiansen has brought 10 players – including Vurnon Anita, Ezgjan Alioski and Pontus Jansson on a permanent deal – to the club this summer already with promotion the aim.

However, with those new faces comes even more competition for places and inevitably it could mean that some individuals will be moved on as they are deemed surplus to requirements.

Here are three first-team players Leeds need to offload before the end of the month…

Hadi Sacko

Of course, Leeds only signed Sacko on a permanent deal from Sporting Lisbon following a relatively successful loan spell at Elland Road last season, so we are not saying they should already sell him.

However, the 23-year-old may benefit from a loan move away in order to find some consistency with the winger coming under criticism from supporters following their 4-1 win against Port Vale on Wednesday night.

The winger struggled to make an impact against the League Two outfit and there were even some jeers from the home crowd when he was replaced in the 57th minute.

Christiansen already has the likes of Saiz, Aliosko, Kemar Roofe, Stuart Dallas and Pablo Hernandez that can play wide if needs be, and the Spanish manager may decide to loan the Frenchman out.

Toumani Diagouraga

Leeds supporters may have expected big things from the midfielder when he joined the club from Brentford in 2015, but he has struggled to make an impression at Elland Road.

In his first season with the Yorkshire outfit, the Frenchman failed to hold down a regular spot in the starting line-up and ended the campaign having made just 19 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals.

If the 30-year-old defensive midfielder was hoping for a fresh start under Garry Monk last term he was sadly mistaken, and he made just one appearance for the Whites on the opening day before being loaned out to Ipswich Town in the second-half of the campaign.

Having failed to be a part of their pre-season or early season fixtures, Diagouraga is almost certain leave before the end of this month.

Souleymane Doukara

Like Antonsson, Doukara failed to make the matchday squad for either of the matches against Bolton and Port Vale in the last week and it seems likely that Leeds will look to offload him before the transfer window slams shut at the end of this month.

The 25-year-old – who can play as a centre-forward or out wide – was far from prolific last season as he scored just six goals in 34 Championship appearances, but he was another that found regular first-team minutes hard to come by because of the fine form of Wood.

The attacker faces even more competition following the Yorkshire outfit’s summer business and they could look to cash in on him in the next couple of weeks.

Do you agree, Leeds fans? Let us know below.

Liverpool and Tottenham meet on Saturday in a battle that will pit two of the strongest clubs in the Premier League against one another.

Spurs sit second in the table but are a whole nine points back on Chelsea, so a win is crucial if they want to keep pace and possibly challenge the Blues for the title. Tottenham are coming off a 1-0 win against Middlesbrough and will be eager to continue their recent good run.

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The Reds, on the other hand, are still in the midst of a slump that has yet to see them win a match in Premier League play in 2017. Jurgen Klopp’s side have dropped to fifth in the table and are coming off a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Hull. They need a win if they are to salvage their season and get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Liverpool’s attack has been struggling of late and will have a tough task against the Tottenham defence, which is one of the best, surrendering a league-low 16 goals.

Both clubs are desperately in need of the win, but which one will rise to the occasion and take it?

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Let’s face it – Simon Mignolet just hasn’t managed to look all that convincing for Liverpool this season, and Twitter users certainly haven’t gone easy on the Belgian international after his questionable form against the Gunners tonight…

Mignolet was largely at fault for both goals conceded at Anfield, and although his fellow Liverpool defenders haven’t exactly covered themselves in much glory either, the under-fire Reds ‘keeper will likely take most of the flack when all is said and done.

The former Sunderland man isn’t a completely flawed goal-keeper by any stretch of the imagination – but as some unwanted reputations seemingly stick among the English top-flight within the cold light of day – it remains hard to imagine Jurgen Klopp persevering with the 27-year-old shot-stopper, even if his form nonetheless improves throughout the remainder of the season.

So then, put in no uncertain terms whatsoever, here’s what Twitter has had to say about the floundering Liverpool ‘keeper thus far…

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney caught up with Taylor Swift's boyfriend and NFL star Travis Kelce to chat about football.

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McElhenney talks Wrexham with Travis KelceNFL star learns about cup competitionsCelebrities have been regularly spotted at WrexhamWHAT HAPPENED?

Celebrity sightings have become commonplace at Wrexham since Hollywood duo McElhenney and Reynolds took over the club in 2021. Hugh Jackman, Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd are just some of the stars who have been spotted watching the Welsh side and they could soon be joined by more A-listers as McElhenney has been chatting about his team to NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce on their New Heights podcast.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MCELHENNEY SAID

Travis was particularly interested to learn about cup competitions, which allowed McElhenney to open up on his experiences with Wrexham since taking over.

"That's a fascinating part of the sport. Some people really care a lot, other people don't care at all. You have fanbases that are sort of torn," he explained. "I do find it's a win-win because if you advance and continue to win through the tournament people get excited and if you lose, nobody cares.

"And in fact, the NFC championship last year which we came to, we watched the Wrexham game in the parking lot with the tailgate before the game and we drew that game against a team that was three leagues higher than us.

"I've become so annoying with that – I've been correcting people on the word 'soccer' versus football. People just want to smack me."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

McElhenney's other love is the Philadelphia Eagles and he joined Kelce's girfriend Taylor Swift to see the NFL star take on the the New York Jets with The Chiefs last month. Could Swift now be tempted head to Wrexham? Kelce certainly seemed impressed by McElhenney's commitment to Wrexham. "I love it though, you're all in. That's how you know you're doing the right thing. You're all in, baby," he said.

Reynolds and McElhenney have previously said they would love to see Swift perform at Wrexham's stadium after hosting two gigs by the Kings of Leon last summer.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham are back in action at the weekend and will be hoping to secure a place in the third round of the FA Cup when they take on National League South side Yeovil Town at the SToK Racecourse. The Welsh side made it to the fourth round last season before being knocked out in a replay against Sheffield United.

The Senegal star is a modern-day Reds great, but he should have no part to play in Jurgen Klopp's Anfield rebuild

He will always have a place in Liverpool’s glorious past, but Sadio Mane should have no part to play in the Reds’ future.

The Senegal international could well be looking for a new club this summer, with his violent clash with teammate Leroy Sane casting serious doubts over his Bayern Munich future.

Reports in Germany, indeed, suggest the Bundesliga champions are ready to cut their losses on the 31-year-old, just 12 months after they paid £35 million ($43m) to bring him from Liverpool.

Naturally, that has led some to speculate whether a return to Anfield, where Mane enjoyed such wonderful success during six trophy-laden years, could be on the cards. Liverpool sources have offered little encouragement to such stories, in fairness, and understandably so.

Because a Mane return, as romantic as it sounds, makes little sense for Jurgen Klopp’s side, and here's why…

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  A difficult year

  Having arrived amid much fanfare, it is fair to say that Mane’s debut season at Bayern has gone far from smoothly.

  It started OK, with five goals in his first six appearances suggesting he could at least help plug the gap left by Robert Lewandowski’s departure, but as early as September there were signs of trouble ahead. He was criticised after a poor performance in a Champions League group match against Lewandowski’s Barcelona, with coach Julian Nagelsmann admitting he needed more from the forward, suggesting Mane needed to add some “positive arrogance” to his game.

  Mane had netted 11 goals by the end of October, but in the 6-1 win over Werder Bremen on November 8, he suffered an injury that would rule him out of Senegal’s World Cup campaign, and which would keep him sidelined for almost three months in total.

  He returned towards the end of February, but has not scored in 10 appearances since. He was reported to have rowed with Nagelsmann after the Champions League last-16 win over Paris Saint-Germain in March, and then clashed in the dressing room with Sane following the quarter-final first-leg defeat at Manchester City earlier this month.

  That led to a one-game suspension from the club, as well as a hefty fine. Sky Germany have since reported that Bayern will “try everything” to offload Mane at the end of the season, with Nagelsmann’s replacement, Thomas Tuchel, planning a system without the former Salzburg and Southampton man.

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  Liverpool's summer plans

  So what chance of a return to Liverpool, then? There will be plenty of Reds fans keen on the idea. Mane, after all, achieved so much during his time on Merseyside, scoring 120 goals in 269 appearances and winning every major club honour possible. Few players had more influence on the club’s success under Klopp than he did.

  But Liverpool’s priorities this summer lie elsewhere. Their midfield is in need of a serious (and expensive) overhaul, and they could well be in the market for a centre-back and a back-up goalkeeper too, if certain departures are given the green light.

  They expect to spend good money, with the likes of Mason Mount, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo all on their list of potential targets. 

  What they aren’t planning on doing, at this stage at least, is recruiting another first-team forward, especially one the wrong side of 30, who favours the left of the attack and who would command the kind of wages and playing-time expectation as Mane. It might make sense in terms of narrative, but not logistically.

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  The Reds' new forward line

  In contrast to their midfield, which has been allowed to grow old and more than a little stale, Liverpool have been proactive in reshaping their attack in recent years.

  Diogo Jota’s arrival in 2020 turned an established three (Mane, Mohamed Salah & Roberto Firmino) into a fab four, while the signing of Luis Diaz at the end of January 2022 was done to offset the departure of Mane, which came a few months later, just after Darwin Nunez had been brought to the club.

  Likewise, buying Cody Gakpo this January should enable the Reds to cover for the exit of Firmino, who is leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season.

  It means Klopp will have five high-class attackers at his disposal, four of them aged 26 or under and all of them capable of playing in multiple positions across the forward line. Add to that younger talents such as Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho and Ben Doak, and it is hard to see Liverpool entering the market for another frontman this summer.

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  The Klopp relationship

  Perhaps as pertinent a question is whether Mane would even want to return to Liverpool, and whether Klopp would want to welcome him back.

  The pair clearly have a lot of mutual respect for one another – how could they not, having shared such wonderful times together? – but their relationship was far from perfect, particularly in Mane’s final season with the club, when it became apparent that he was looking to move on. 

  Stories that Mane felt undervalued at Liverpool may have been a little overplayed, but did contain an element of truth. Had the Reds offered him a contract comparable with that given to Salah last summer, for example, then the feeling is he would have signed it in a flash.

  Mane has spoken well of Klopp since leaving, and retains good friendships with just about all of the current squad. When it became clear he would miss the World Cup, some of the first messages he received were from the likes of Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk and Salah. Plenty within Liverpool – Andy Robertson, for starters – would welcome him back with open arms.

With Argentina struggling against Mexico, they needed their captain to step up. Lionel Messi did just that, scoring a stunning opener in a 2-0 win.

Lionel Messi. It just had to be, didn't it?

Just when his country needed him the most, he popped up with a moment of magic to keep Argentina's World Cup dream alive and sink Mexico at the Lusail Stadium on Saturday night.

What had been a dismal affair was lit up by Messi on 64 minutes when he drilled a perfect shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards to break the deadlock.

And he then set up Enzo Fernandez for a stunning second late on to seal a crucial victory for Lionel Scaloni's side.

It was a win that revitalised Argentina's hopes in Qatar following their shock 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia in their opening group stage game.

And while they were far from their best once again, they now know that victory over Poland on Wednesday will seal their spot in the last 16.

Below, GOAL runs through the winners and losers from an emotional night for Argentina and their sensational skipper…

GettyThe Winners

Lionel Messi:

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Messi, like his team-mates, had endured a miserable evening until Angel Di Maria picked him out 25 yards from goal midway through the second half. Then, two mecurial touches of that left foot was all that it took to turn what had been a truly dire game on its head. The first was perfect, cushioning the ball into his path. The second was unerring, drilling an effort across Guillermo Ochoa into the bottom corner. It was Messi's eighth goal at a World Cup, drawing him level with Diego Maradona. But, more importantly, it was the goal that kept Argentina's dream of lifting the trophy in 2022 alive. Messi had been totally ineffectual up to that point, but one moment of quality was all it took to revitalise his side's hopes in Qatar and remind the world that he is not done just yet.

Angel Di Maria:

There were very few Argentina players who could hold their heads up high following this uninspiring display, but Di Maria did at least look like he was trying to make a difference. Things didn't always come off for him, especially in the first half, but after the break it was the Juventus star who looked the most likely to make something happen. Argentina started to get some joy down the right hand side and Di Maria was always the man who was probing and trying to run at his man and get behind the Mexico defence. And it was his pass that picked out Messi in some space for the goal. It wasn't an excellent performance by Di Maria by any means, but in a poor team display, he made a difference when it really mattered.

Enzo Fernandez:

What a way to score your first international goal. The 21-year-old was brought off the bench midway through the second half and was one of the substitutes who really made a difference for Argentina. Lionel Scaloni’s side had been really poor, but the second half changes led to an improvement and they were comfortably the better side after Lionel Messi had broken the deadlock. There was still some nerves around, however, with the score only 1-0. They needed a second goal just to be sure and it was Fernandez who provided it, curling home a quite stunning effort on 87 minutes to put the game to bed. It was a wonderful finish and a special moment for the Benfica starlet.

AdvertisementGettyThe Losers

Loser: Rodrigo De Paul

You will have to go a long way to find a performance from a top level player that was quite as dismal as the one De Paul served up during the first half at the Lusail Stadium. The Atletico Madrid man was pitiful in the heart of midfield, enduring a miserable opening 45 minutes. His passing was poor throughout and he brought nothing to his side, at either end of the pitch. Argentina couldn't get any control in the midfield until Messi's opening goal and De Paul's struggles were a major part of that. He wasn't alone in underperforming by any means, but it was apparent very early on how bad a night he was having and the only surprise was he managed to stay on the pitch for the entire game.

Loser:LautaroMartinez

The Inter forward was brought into the starting XI after Argentina's miserable showing against Saudi Arabia, but made no impact whatsoever. This was his big chance to impress, but he wasted it completely. It must be noted that he was provided with very little service, but that does not excuse what was a totally ineffectual performance from the forward. He had just 14 touches of the ball while he was on the pitch and made just six passes, with a passing accuracy of just 50 percent. Awful.

Argentina Ratings: Defence

Emiliano Martinez (6/10):

Made one spectacular save in the first half, but other than was completely untroubled.

Gonzalo Montiel (5/10):

Looked well off the pace. Poor.

Nicolas Otamendi (6/10):

Barely put under pressure by the Mexico attack.

Lisandro Martinez (6/10):

Cruised through the contest without having to break sweat.

Marcos Acuna (5/10):

Not really involved.

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Midfield

Angel Di Maria (7/10):

Made a real difference in the second half. Got the assist for Messi.

Rodrigo De Paul (3/10):

Awful. Improved slightly after half-time, was shambolic before the break.

Guido Rodriguez (4/10):

Not quite as bad as De Paul, but couldn't get any control in midfield.

Alexis Mac Allister (5/10):

Couldn't get into the game.

MatériaMais Notícias

O CSA deu início a sua pré-temporada na última sexta-feira. No CT do Mutange, o elenco do Azulão se apresentou para uma bateria de exames físicos e o técnico Maurício Barbieri teve o seu primeiro contato com a imprensa.

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Animado com a possibilidade de vencer ao longo do ano, o comandante exaltou a ambição da diretoria no planejamento.

‘O projeto do CSA é muito grande. Não apenas no contato comigo, mas com os atletas, é muito tentador o planejamento para esse ano. Então, diante do que estamos vendo do trabalho da diretoria e o que teremos em campo, queremos um time corajoso, para buscar grandes resultados em todas as competições’, disse.

Em 2020, o CSA terá pela frente o Estadual, Copa do Nordeste, Copa do Brasil e a Série B, principal competição do calendário.

O primeiro compromisso do Azulão será no dia 20 de janeiro, quando encara o CEO, fora de casa, pela rodada inicial do Campeonato Alagoano.

A calmly compiled 56-ball 83 from Tillakaratne Dilshan steered Sri Lanka to a heart-rate-steadying six-wicket win in their opening match of the World T20, but not before Afghanistan reminded them and the rest of Group 1 that they belonged in the Super 10s

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy in Kolkata17-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:01

Chappell: Afghanistan made SL fight all the way

A calmly compiled 56-ball 83 from Tillakaratne Dilshan steered Sri Lanka to a heart-rate-steadying six-wicket win in their opening match of the World T20, but not before Afghanistan reminded them and the rest of Group 1 that they belonged in the Super 10s.With the bat, Afghanistan recovered brilliantly from a poor start, scoring 106 runs in their last ten overs to set a challenging target of 154. They bowled with skill and intelligence to claw back into the match after Dilshan and Dinesh Chandimal had given Sri Lanka a bright start: 41 for 0 in five overs.In the end, it was only Afghanistan’s fielding that proved to be of less-than-elite standard, with three basic errors in the deep giving a jittery Sri Lankan batting unit valuable breathing room.First, in the 14th over, Karim Sadiq failed to get his body behind a regulation stop at deep midwicket. Then, in the 16th, Dawlat Zadran made the same mistake at deep backward square leg. The third misfield came from the substitute fielder Gulbadin Naib, who dived to his left at third man, got a meaty hand to the ball, and only ended up pushing it past the rope. Sri Lanka should have only got three runs from those three balls; they ended up getting 12.Sri Lanka would have appreciated the help, for barring Dilshan, their top order showed itself to be decidedly wobbly.Mohammad Nabi’s introduction in the sixth over exposed the wobbliness. Sri Lanka were going along comfortably when Chandimal stepped out and aimed a heave over the leg side. The ball turned a little further than expected and popped off the inside half of his bat straight to midwicket. Lahiru Thirimanne, back in Sri Lanka’s T20 side for the first time since May 2014, showed why he may have been out of the side for so long, playing only three scoring shots in 12 balls before inside-edging an attempted cover drive off the legspinner Rashid Khan onto his stumps.At the other end, like Mahela Jayawardene did during the two sides’ 50-over World Cup meeting last year, Dilshan provided the experienced head that guided Sri Lanka through this troubled period. He had started in his usual manner, hitting consecutive sixes off Dawlat Zadran – the second with a trademark scoop over his own head – and swatting Hamid Hassan for successive fours over midwicket, but did not take too many chances against the spinners. But he still scored freely against them, taking the singles on offer, putting away the bad ball, and running faster than every other 39-year-old on the planet to pick up a couple of twos to the leg-side gaps.There were a couple more nervy moments, courtesy the run-outs of Thisara Perera and Chamara Kapugedera, but the cool heads of Dilshan and Angelo Mathews, helped along by Afghanistan’s sloppy fielding, took Sri Lanka home with seven balls remaining.Having only faced Scotland, Hong Kong and Zimbabwe so far, it took Afghanistan a while to come to terms with the quality of Sri Lanka’s attack. Mohammad Shahzad, unusually subdued early on, tried to break free of the shackles in the third over and clouted Angelo Mathews to the straight boundary before top-edging a pull to mid-on the next ball. Apart from a couple of sweetly-timed leg-side flicks, Noor Ali Zadran struggled for tempo, and was bowled around his legs by Rangana Herath after adding 32 off 32 balls with Asghar Stanikzai.Herath settled into a beautiful rhythm, mixing his pace and trajectory cleverly, and the run rate plummeted as Sadiq and Nabi soon followed Noor to the pavilion.Stanikzai had moved to 18 off 23 balls when he made an abrupt change of gear against Milinda Siriwardana’s left-arm spin, launching him for successive sixes in the 13th over, before slog-sweeping Herath for another six in the 15th over, with a helping hand from a butter-fingered Thirimanne in the deep. At the other end, Samiullah Shenwari hit two fours and a six – including a reverse-swat off Perera that left the batsman on his backside – in successive overs before holing out to long-off.Stanikzai and Shenwari, the heroes of Afghanistan’s ODI win over Bangladesh in 2014, had put on 61 in 33 balls. It clearly rattled Sri Lanka, and Mathews dropped Stanikzai at cover immediately after Shenwari’s dismissal. It was a sitter, and Stanikzai, at 44 at that point, struck two more fours and a six to move to his highest T20I score before falling at the end of the 19th over.Afghanistan were by no means done. Najibullah Zadran, a specialist batsman, had only batted once in the tournament so far, and was slotted to come in at No, 8, but found his namesake Dawlat promoted above him instead. When Najibullah finally did come out, there were only three balls left in Afghanistan’s innings. No problem. Swinging freely through the line like a young Yuvraj Singh, Najibullah lofted Nuwan Kulasekara for a six over extra cover first ball, and then flat-batted him in the same direction for a four next ball.

Sri Lanka A rode on a firm opening partnership led by Dhananjaya de Silva’s 96, and a solid contribution from Kithuruwan Vithanage, to 244 for 4 on the first day of the second unofficial Test in Pallekele

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Kithuruwan Vithanage hit seven fours and a six during his unbeaten 63•AFP

Sri Lanka A rode on a firm opening partnership led by Dhananjaya de Silva’s 96, and a solid contribution from Kithuruwan Vithanage, to 244 for 4 on the first day of the second unofficial Test in Pallekele. De Silva and Udara Jayasundera made 101 for the first wicket before Zia-ul-Haq had Jasundera lbw for 42. Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar made a second breakthrough not long after, but de Silva and Vithanage put on a 56-run stand for the third wicket to stabilise the hosts’ advance.Ashan Priyanjan was run out for 5, before Vithanage and Kusal Perera closed out the day with an unbroken 49-run stand. Perera was typically brisk, hitting 21 from the 22 balls he faced to follow his run of four aggressive tons from five innings. Three Pakistan A bowlers picked up a wicket each, with Imad Wasim’s left-arm spin having removed de Silva. The first unofficial Test had ended in a draw, in Colombo.