أصدر الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم بيانًا رسميًا نفى فيه ما تم تداوله مؤخرًا بشأن رفض منح لاعبي منتخب مصر مكافآت مالية بمناسبة التأهل إلى كأس العالم، مؤكدًا أن هذه الأنباء عارية تمامًا من الصحة.
وأوضح الاتحاد في بيانه أنه لم يصدر أي قرارات تتعلق بتعيينات جديدة داخل المنتخبات الوطنية أو بصرف مكافآت مالية في الوقت الحالي، مشيرًا إلى أن هناك تنسيقًا كاملًا ومستمرًا مع وزارة الشباب والرياضة في جميع الملفات الخاصة بالمنتخبات الوطنية.
ودعا الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم وسائل الإعلام المختلفة إلى تحري الدقة في نشر الأخبار، وعدم الانسياق وراء معلومات مغلوطة أو شائعات لم تصدر عن الاتحاد بصفة رسمية، مؤكدًا أن البيانات الرسمية فقط هي المصدر الموثوق لأي مستجدات تخص المنتخبات الوطنية.
طالع أيضًا | وزارة الرياضة تصدر بيانًا رسميًا بشأن واقعة عمر عصر ونجل رئيس اتحاد تنس الطاولة
يذكر، أن منتخب مصر حسم تأهله إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026، المقبل، بعد تصدره المجموعة الأولى في التصفيات برصيد 26 نقطة من الفوز في 8 مباريات والتعادل في مواجهتين.
ومن المنتظر أن يخوض منتخب مصر معسكرًا خلال فترة التوقف الدولي، نوفمبر المقبل، من أجل الاستعداد لخوض منافسات كأس الأمم الإفريقية في شهر ديسمبر المقبل، في دولة المغرب.
ويتواجد منتخب مصر، في المجموعة الثانية من بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، مع منتخبات زيمبابوي، أنجولا وجنوب إفريقيا.
Rangers are preparing for the second leg of the Champions League qualification clash with Club Brugge. Russell Martin’s team are currently 3-1 down to the Belgian side following a catastrophic opening 20 minutes in the first leg.
Ahead of the tie, Russell Martin spoke about how Rangers still have hope of progressing in the competition: “This game is very much alive, and the tie is very much alive in our eyes.
“The guys ran more in the last game against Brugge than they have done for pretty much two years at this football club. They’re willing to run for us, they’re willing to work for us. At the minute, we have a little bit of inconsistency in selection, trying to find a rhythm, trying to find a way, but things will settle down very soon.”
Martin’s side needs to score at least two goals, but they will be without one of last season’s top three goal-scorers as a Ligue 1 side have triggered the player’s release clause.
Lille bid for Igamane accepted
Rangers have accepted a bid from French side Lille for Moroccan forward Hamza Igamane. The French side have placed a bid worth £10.5 million, which is equal to the release clause in his contract.
Hamza Igamane
Igamane looked set to leave after he claimed to be unable to come off the bench in the Scottish Premiership match against St Mirren due to an injury. The 22-year-old joined Rangers last summer for just under £3 million and has registered 19 goal involvements in 49 appearances for the club.
The 49ers have brought in a number of attacking players this summer, such as Oliver Antman and Thelo Aasgaard, but have yet to sign a new striker. However, the club does still have Cyriel Dessers and Danilo available to play up front.
Last season, Igamane was praised by talent scouts for his impressive skills, with Ben Mattinson describing him as, “completely unpredictable, tonnes of flair and trickery. The type of player to try outrageous moves/shots just because”.
However, his stock among Rangers fans has drastically fallen over the summer transfer window as the player has made it clear he wants out.
Where it went wrong for Martin and Igamane
Earlier in the window, Igamane was linked with a move to Everton, who were looking to increase their attacking firepower, but that move did not materialise. Due to this, the forward appears to have taken drastic measures to force a move out of the club.
During Sunday’s 1-1 draw with St Mirren, Igamane was called off the bench but refused, claiming to have an injury. If this injury was known prior to the match, he almost certainly would not have been selected for the squad, leading many to believe that it was a stunt to push through a move away from the club.
Speaking ahead of the Champions League fixture, Martin was more open about the topic, saying that Igamane “got what he wanted”.
The situation between Igamane and Rangers clearly became un-salvageable following the strikers’ actions, and the test for the 49ers and Martin will be if they can use their newfound funds before the transfer window closes.
Global cricket needs to move away from “random and inconsistent,” outbursts of support for Afghanistan’s exiled women’s cricketers and towards a “systematic global approach.” That’s the view of the global player body, the World Cricketers Association (WCA) whose CEO Tom Moffat has called the exclusion of women’s players in any country “unacceptable.”In the same week that an Afghan Women’s XI will come together for the first time to play against a Cricket Without Borders team at the Junction Oval in Australia, Moffat spoke to ESPNcricinfo about possible collective action which he says “doesn’t necessarily mean boycotts,” but should include both the ICC and individual boards.”The ICC and national governing bodies run and regulate the game and their tournaments, and have a responsibility to exercise leverage to ensure that the rights of players in our sport, including Afghanistan women’s players, are protected and respected,” Moffat said. “That doesn’t necessarily mean boycotts, there are a number of ways to exercise leverage, but to date the random and inconsistent manner of dealing with it, and of even having the conversation around the world, highlights the need for cricket’s governing bodies to implement a more systematic global approach to protecting basic player rights, along with just about every other aspect of the sport.”Related
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Afghanistan, who have been a Full Member since 2017, does not have a women’s team but was developing one before the Taliban takeover in 2021. In 2020, the ACB contracted 25 women’s players but they never played an international. Under the Taliban regime, women have been banned from participating in sport and there have been increasing restrictions on them in all aspects of public life including education and access to healthcare.The crackdown on women’s rights has drawn criticism from several international organisations including Amnesty International and the United Nations, and though there are asset freezes on some Taliban officials, there are no sporting bans in place. Afghanistan remain members of FIFA and the ICC, to name two global bodies and sent a team of three men and three women, who were living in exile and were not recognised by the Taliban government, to last year’s Paris Olympics.Currently, Australia are the only country who have cancelled bilateral engagements against Afghanistan while England have said they will do the same. Both countries continue to play Afghanistan in ICC events, even as calls to boycott those games grow.In England, a cross-party parliamentary group >wrote to the ECB strongly urging the men’s team and officials to, “speak out against the horrific treatment of women and girls in Afghanistan,” and to consider not playing Afghanistan in their Champions Trophy fixture on February 26. In response, the ECB CEO Richard Gould called for “a coordinated, ICC-wide approach,” which is similar to Moffat’s stance.Similarly, South Africa, who are also grouped with Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy, have received backlash from their sports minister Gayton McKenzie, who compared the Taliban’s treatment of women to Apartheid.Cricket South Africa have actively sought out fixtures against Afghanistan and played them in an ODI series in Sharjah last September and maintain that shunning the men’s team will not have a material impact on the situation facing women in Afghanistan. South Africa’s stance is important because they have first-hand experience of being banned from the 1970s to 1990s and sporting isolation (along with economic sanctions) was a significant contributor to the fall of Apartheid. However, CSA is of the opinion that it will take more than a cricket boycott to force the Taliban to recognise women’s rights.
While there is a need to acknowledge that the freedom to play sport is one of many that have been taken away from Afghan women and girls, there is also a desire from organisations like the WCA to underline how crucial that right is.”Every athlete has the right to equality of opportunity which is protected in the Universal Declaration of Player Rights, underpinned by international law,” Moffat said. “That means each player has the right to equality of opportunity in the pursuit of sport, free of discrimination, harassment and violence, and a player’s right to pursue sport cannot be limited because of his or her gender.”As these rights are not being extended to women and girls in Afghanistan, the WCA reiterated that it is “absolutely supportive of any player who wants to speak up on this issue.” Several Afghan men’s players including Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, have spoken out about the need for education to be available to everyone but have not said anything in support of female cricketers, despite their pleas for support.It is understood that many of the Afghan men’s players have family in the country and fear retribution for speaking out, especially as they have little protection. As things stand, Afghanistan does not have a player association but some of the men’s players are part of the WCA’s global commercial program.
Vincent Kompany believes Nicolas Jackson to be "a perfect fit" for Bayern Munich as the striker prepares for his Bundesliga debut.
Chelsea loanee joins on €16.5m dealKompany expects speed and attacking driveSenegal star eager to learn from KaneFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Bayern unveiled Jackson as their latest signing after securing the Chelsea forward on a season-long loan in a deal that cost the Bundesliga champions €16.5m (£14m/$19m). The agreement also includes a conditional purchase clause worth €65m (£54m/$71m), though the conditions make it unlikely to be triggered. The 24-year-old Senegal international's arrival gives Kompany another attacking option to partner Harry Kane as they aim to defend their Bundesliga crown and compete for the Champions League title.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT KOMPANY SAID
"This first phase is very important for him because he didn't have a proper preparation at Chelsea," Kompany said at a press conference unveiling the striker. "He's a good athlete and it won't take long for him to get back to 100 percent. We have to wait and see when he can play from the start. What I've seen so far is very good. He's a young player with a lot of quality. He'll pose a great threat with his speed and attacking drive."
He added: "We're always very flexible up front, and I think that's a good thing. That's why Nicolas Jackson's profile makes him a perfect fit. That's why he'll play an important role next season."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
With Kane already established as the team’s leading striker, Kompany now has a versatile forward capable of playing alongside or around the England captain. Jackson recently said that he is looking ahead to playing with Kane, who is already top of the Bundesliga goal chart alongside Michael Olise with three goals from two matches.
Jackson said: "Kane is one of the best strikers in the world. I hope to learn from him, complement his game, and build a strong bond on the pitch. We are two strikers who complement each other very well on the pitch, and we will work hard to ensure the results live up to expectations."
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Jackson is expected to make his debut in the Bundesliga clash against Hamburg, and Bayern will hope his integration is smooth, particularly with Champions League fixtures looming. Beyond his immediate adaptation, the loan will also be a test run to see whether Jackson fits Bayern’s long-term vision. If he impresses alongside Kane, the club may yet revisit a permanent deal in the future.
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly on the lookout for an heir to club legend Son Heung-min amid their dire need for a new playmaker too, with Spurs expected to be busy during the final few weeks of this summer window.
The Lilywhites take on PSG in a highly-anticipated UEFA Super Cup clash next week, but as things stand, Thomas Frank will battle the French treble winners with a severely weakened squad.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
Son’s £20 million move to LAFC brought an end to what was an historic 10 years at Spurs for the winger, culminating in the 33-year-old waving an emotional goodbye to an adoring Korean crowd in Seoul last weekend.
Unfortunately, the tribute was marred by James Maddison suffering a serious injury to the same knee which kept him out of the Europa League final last season.
Maddison was forced off on a stretcher, with Frank describing the issue as “bad” in what was a devastating blow for the Dane ahead of his imminent first competitive game in charge.
FFC Spurs – James Maddison
After just 90 minutes against Newcastle, Frank lost Son to the MLS and Maddison swiftly returned to the treatment table, with Daniel Levy now tasked with somehow filling the voids left by both men.
In an ideal world, Levy and technical director Johan Lange would bring in a versatile-enough attacking option to cover both positions, if they can’t sign two new attackers.
There are a few intriguing possibilities in this regard, with reports suggesting that Liverpool sensation Harvey Elliott could emerge as a target for Tottenham. However, the north Londoners face stiff competition from RB Leipzig, who are now moving for the England Under-21 international after his stellar Euros.
Similarly to Elliott, wantaway Manchester United starlet Alejandro Garnacho can operate both on the left-hand side and as a CAM.
Alejandro Garnacho refuses to rule out joining Tottenham
Chelsea are believed to be in talks for Garnacho as they eye a double-swoop for the Argentine and Xavi Simons, but according to journalist Graeme Bailey, Spurs are not entirely out of the race.
Manchester United's AlejandroGarnachoreacts
Speaking to TBR Football, Bailey reports that Frank’s side and Aston Villa are other suitors, and Garnacho hasn’t “discounted” joining either of them over Chelsea, even if Stamford Bridge is his preferred destination right now.
“Garnacho is determined to leave Old Trafford, we know that, and Chelsea appeal, but I am told he has not discounted other options,” said Bailey.
“A move to Stamford Bridge does (stand out to him). Spurs and Villa like him, but Chelsea have done a lot of work so far.”
The 21-year-old fits seamlessly into Tottenham’s transfer policy of buying young players with high potential and sell-on value, with reports also suggesting he’d cost around £40 million after Ruben Amorim’s side reduced his asking price.
Garnacho’s 11 goals and 10 assists in all competitions last season tells you all you need to know about how devastating he could be in the final third, but Spurs will need to hijack Chelsea’s discussions for the “real deal” forward – so a move won’t be easy by any means.
Former West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo has ended his long and celebrated career at Chennai Super Kings, with whom he won four IPL titles in different roles. He has joined defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as mentor from the 2025 season.ESPNcricinfo learned that Bravo recently met with KKR CEO Venky Mysore during the CPL before agreeing to a long-term contract. Apart from KKR, he will be in charge of all franchises under the Knight Riders label in T20 leagues: Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC) and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20).”DJ Bravo joining us is an exciting development.” Mysore said in a statement. “His relentless drive to win, along with his vast experience and deep knowledge, will greatly benefit our franchise and players.”Bravo, who turns 41 in October, replaces Gautam Gambhir, who took over as India’s head coach soon after helping KKR win their third IPL title in 2024. A day prior to the announcement, Bravo had retired from all cricket. Apart from Gambhir, KKR also lost two of their assistant coaches, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, both of whom were also given roles in India’s support staff. At KKR, Bravo will have Chandrakant Pandit as head coach and Bharat Arun as bowling coach.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“I’ve been part of the Trinbago Knight Riders for the last 10 years in the CPL. Having played for and against the Knight Riders in various leagues, I have a lot of respect for how they operate,” Bravo said in a statement. “The owners’ passion, the professionalism of the management, and the family-like environment make it a special place. This is the perfect platform for me as I transition from playing to mentoring and coaching the next generation of players.”The mentor role with KKR is Bravo’s second team management position in the IPL. Having joined CSK in 2011, he retired from the IPL after the 2022 season and joined the franchise as bowling coach from the 2023 season. Bravo had immediate success in his first coaching role as CSK won the title in 2023, to go with his three titles with them as a player. Among the best death bowlers in T20 cricket, Bravo is the third-highest wicket-taker in IPL history and the first player to win two purple caps in the tournament.Related
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With more than 500 T20s worth of experience, Bravo is considered by players and peers as among the best tacticians and motivators, qualities that had elevated him to the West Indies captaincy. He had retired from international cricket after the 2021 T20 World Cup, and while he continued to play in T20 leagues (at Mumbai Emirates in ILT20, Texas Super Kings in MLC and TKR in CPL), he gradually moved towards coaching. During the 2024 T20 World Cup, Bravo played a key role as a consultant coach for Afghanistan, helping the team making the semi-finals for the first time in their history.
Although much of the focus has been on incomings so far this summer, one Manchester United player has now reportedly accepted an offer to leave Old Trafford.
Man Utd still working on player sales
With Matheus Cunha already signed for big money and a fresh offer worth over £60m now reportedly submitted to sign Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United must clear some deadwood out of Ruben Amorim’s squad this summer.
The Red Devils must secure departures for the likes of Antony, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho, who Amorim has reportedly told to find a new club this summer.
To that end, reports suggest that there is already work taking place to show the door to a number of players with Hojlund one of the likeliest to depart at this stage. The Dane has been linked with a return to Italy and is reportedly excited by the potential of a move to Serie A champions Napoli this summer.
Meanwhile, Antony has also been the subject of interest from clubs around Europe. The Brazilian enjoyed an impressive revival on loan at Real Betis in the second half of last season and is now reportedly on Bayer Leverkusen’s radar in an unexpected reunion with former manager Erik ten Hag.
Selling Antony and Hojlund would at least be a start for Manchester United, but they may not have the same luck when attempting to show Andre Onana the door.
While they continue to chase Emiliano Martinez, the Red Devils may see their pursuit scuppered by Onana’s reluctance to depart and instead compete for his place.
Manchester United'sAndreOnanaduring the warm up before the match
With their pre-season getting underway on July 7, United will be keen to have their business complete and that includes sales such as Hojlund, Antony, Onana and one big-money player.
Jadon Sancho accepts £160k-p/w offer to leave Man Utd
As reported by Turkish outlet Sabah and relayed by Sport Witness, Jadon Sancho has now reached an agreement to sign for Fenerbahce in a move that will see him earn €10m-a-year (£8.5m-a-year), which translates to £160,000-a-week. Jose Mourinho’s side are looking at an offer of €18m to sign Sancho, who also has interest from Serie A.
The former Borussia Dortmund ace was supposed to be a transformative signing at Manchester United when he first arrived for around £73m in 2021, but things couldn’t have gone much worse.
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Following a subdued first two seasons at the club, Sancho rediscovered some of his spark on loan at Borussia Dortmund only for last season’s loan spell at Chelsea to prove that was nothing more than a false dawn in familiar surroundings. Now at a crossroads with neither Chelsea nor Amorim wanting his talents at their disposal, the England international desperately needs a permanent fresh start.
Jadon Sancho at Man Utd
Stats (via Transfermarkt)
Appearances
83
Goals
12
Assists
6
20 goal involvements in 83 appearances for the Red Devils sums up Sancho’s struggles in a United shirt and, after four years at the club, the best solution for all parties could be a permanent exit.
Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the appointment of Brentford boss Thomas Frank as Ange Postecoglou’s immediate successor, just five days after the club announced chairman Daniel Levy’s decision to part company with the Australian.
Tottenham set to hire Thomas Frank as new manager after talks
The 51-year-old appears set to end his impressive tenure at Brentford in imminent fashion, after Levy earmarked Frank as the top candidate to replace Postecoglou.
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Unlike their infamously drawn-out hunt for a new manager in 2021, their search has ended pretty quickly, and Frank is now on the cusp of a switch to N17. Tottenham were in talks with Frank and Brentford over the last few days, with negotiations coming to a conclusion in a very swift fashion.
Brentford managerThomasFrankapplauds fans after the match
According to trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano, Frank will become Tottenham’s new manager, with the Lilywhites paying his £10 million release clause and already finding an agreement on contract terms/backroom staff.
The tactician is perhaps a perfect fit, considering he’s proven to be efficient at operating on a limited budget, not to mention working with a data-driven recruitment model at Brentford, which is quite similar to Tottenham.
Son Heung-min
7.00
James Maddison
6.98
Pedro Porro
6.95
Dominic Solanke
6.84
Dejan Kulusevski
6.83
via WhoScored
However, there are some reservations over Frank’s lack of experience when it comes to managing high-profile clubs, competing in the Champions League or winning silverware – with some comparisons already made to Spurs’ failed appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo.
Time will tell whether the Dane’s appointment will prove the correct one, but attention is now turning to how Tottenham will tackle the transfer market under his watch.
Thomas Frank urging Daniel Levy to consider Eberechi Eze deal at Tottenham
According to GiveMeSport, he’s already starting to have his say on Spurs’ summer recruitment drive, with Frank said to be a fan of Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.
Crystal Palace's EberechiEzeposes with the player of the match trophy
It is believed Frank has already urged Levy to consider a Tottenham deal for Eze, if they cannot hijack Man United’s deal for Bryan Mbeumo, with the new head coach giving his green-light for them to move for the £100,000-per-week England international.
The former QPR star fired Palace to their first ever major trophy, scoring the winner against Man City in their 1-0 FA Cup final win at Wembley, adding to his 2024/2025 tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.
Eze’s contract is rumoured to contain a £68 million release clause, so Spurs know the price it would take to back Frank with the attacker’s signing, which would undoubtedly be a statement signing.
“This guy is an immense talent, there’s no doubt about that,” said ex-Arsenal defender Martin Keown about Eze.
“He was released by Arsenal as a kid. I wonder if that will come back to haunt Arsenal here today? He said he cried for a week. He realised when it hits you really hard as a young man, you think, ‘Ok, I’m coming back from this.’ It proves that he’s made of really strong stuff.”
Callum McGregor and Alistair Johnston ended the season on a disappointing note when they missed their spot kicks for Celtic in the final of the SFA Cup.
Aberdeen took them to penalties at Hampden Park, after a 1-1 draw in regulation time, and the two Hoops stars stepped up to miss from he spot, securing the trophy for the Dons.
This meant that the Bhoys failed to win the domestic treble for the second time in as many seasons since Brendan Rodgers returned to Parkhead, as they also won two of the three available trophies last term.
They did still win the Scottish Premiership and the League Cup, though, in what was a successful campaign for the club irrespective of what happened in the SFA Cup final.
It was also still a successful season for Johnston at right-back despite his penalty miss at the national stadium, as he provided impressive performances down the right flank for the Premiership champions throughout the year.
How Alistair Johnston had a successful season for Celtic
The Canada international combined solid defensive work with a desire to get forward to make an impact at the top end of the pitch to offer a fantastic all-round presence at right-back, both in the Champions League and the Premiership.
Johnston started all ten of the club’s matches in Europe, which illustrates how much Rodgers relied on him, and he ranked first out of all players in the squad with more than one start for tackles (2.8) and interceptions (1.4) per game.
This shows that the 26-year-old star was hugely important to Celtic from a defensive perspective, as he consistently made vital interventions to cut out opposition attacks with tackles and interceptions.
It was not only his form in Europe that caught the eye during the season for the Hoops, though, as the defender also delivered exciting displays from right-back in the Premiership.
Appearances
32
Goals
4
Big chances created
15
Key passes per game
1.5
Assists
10
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.0
As you can see in the table above, Johnston provided a decent goal threat from right-back, whilst also being an incredibly creative figure at the top end of the pitch, with almost one ‘big chance’ created every other game on average.
These statistics, along with his defensive numbers in the Champions League, show how the Canadian star has enjoyed a successful season for Celtic, despite his miss in the final against Aberdeen.
In March, The Athletic reported that Fulham and Ipswich were both plotting summer moves for the defender, which suggests that the Hoops may need to fight to keep hold of him.
This shows that his performances for Celtic have also attracted interest from elsewhere, and a fresh report has linked the club with a move for a player who plays in a similar position.
Celtic eyeing deal for Premiership defender
According to EFL Analysis, Celtic are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign versatile Dundee star Josh Mulligan in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Hoops are set to battle it out with English Championship side West Bromwich Albion to land the Scotland U21 international.
It reveals that the Baggies are already holding talks with the Scottish defender, whilst Celtic’s interest remains just that as it stands, ahead of his expected exit from Dundee.
Mulligan’s contract at Dens Park expires at the end of this month, and he is set to be available on a ‘free’ transfer, although Dundee would be due compensation due to his age.
Alistair Johnston
Whilst West Brom appear to be ahead of the Hoops in the race, due to them already being in talks with the 22-year-old star, Celtic are eyeing up the Premiership star and he could be Johnston 2.0 for Rodgers next season.
Why Celtic should sign Josh Mulligan
At the age of 22, Mulligan could be a terrific addition to the Hoops squad as a long-term signing who could develop and improve with games over the seasons to come.
This means that he could also come in as a back-up to Johnston initially, if the Canada international does not move to the Premier League, because the youngster is at an age where he can bide his time if needed.
Celtic manager BrendanRodgersbefore the match
However, Mulligan is also a proven performer in the Premiership who could hit the ground running as a replacement for the Celtic star if that is the situation that he would walk into this summer.
The versatile star, who can play as a central or attacking midfielder, has caught the eye as a right-sided wing-back for Dundee in the top-flight.
As you can see in the clip above, his emergence in that position earned him plaudits from multiple pundits due to his attacking drive down the right flank.
Whilst Celtic do not play with wing-backs on paper, their dominance in matches means that Johnston is more or less a wing-back in how high he gets up the pitch and how many touches he takes.
Appearances
34
32
Touches per game
42.6
89.8
Big chances created
9
15
Assists
5
10
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.5
2.0
Duels won per game
5.2
3.6
As you can see in the table above, Mulligan has the potential to be Johnston 2.0 for the Hoops because he created nine ‘big chances’ and posted similar defensive numbers, despite taking less than half as many touches per game.
The 22-year-old star has shown a willingness to drive forward to make things happen at the top end of the pitch from a wing-back position, and was once compared to Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur icon Gareth Bale, who started out his career as a full-back.
Former teammate Simon Ferry said: “He’s a Rolls-Royce like Gareth Bale – powerful, strong, direct. He’s a machine at that age. He wants to learn, listens to you.”
This shows that Celtic could have another ‘machine’ racing down the right flank to deliver assists next season even if they do cash in on Johnston, because Mulligan has the potential to be a fantastic signing for the club.
Celtic can forget Orjasaeter by signing £5m gem who "wins games on his own"
Celtic can forget about Sondre Orjasaeter by signing this reported transfer target.
ByDan Emery May 28, 2025
Therefore, the Hoops should consider opening talks to land the out-of-contract defender in the summer transfer window to beat West Brom to his signature.
Tottenham Hotspur are potentially two games away from doing something seriously special in the Europa League.
However, while Ange Postecoglou could lead his side to continental success, the club’s domestic form cannot be described as anything other than shambolic.
With three games left to play in the Premier League, the North Londoners have been on the losing side 19 times and sit just a point above West Ham United in 16th place.
Unsurprisingly, such wretched form has led to reports suggesting that Postecoglou is set to be replaced in the summer, regardless of what happens in the Europa League.
There have been a whole host of names linked with the club in recent weeks, but there has been one which would represent a massive coup for the Lilywhites: someone who’s an even bigger name than José Mourinho and would be an enormous upgrade on Ange.
Tottenham's manager search
The last few weeks have seen a variety of managers linked with the Spurs job, and while there have been some underwhelming ones, like Scott Parker, there have been some more exciting ones as well, like Marco Silva and Andonio Iraola.
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The former has helped turn Fulham from a yo-yo club into a mid-table Premier League side that can give anyone a game on their day.
It’s been an even more impressive transformation down at the Vitality Stadium, with Iraola taking the Cherries from relegation favourites near the start of last season to genuine contenders for a European place this season.
Moreover, the Spaniard helped to get the financially minuscule Rayo Vallecano promoted to La Liga during his time in the Spanish capital.
However, even with the aforementioned managers, there is an element of risk, as none of them have taken over a club as big as Spurs, so there will always be lingering questions over how they’d cope with it.
So, with this in mind, reports from GIVEMESPORT late last month that claimed the Tottenham board had held international discussions about hiring Carlo Ancelotti are so exciting.
It would be an incredibly ambitious move, and one that might not pan out if reports linking the Italian to the Brazilian job are accurate, but if it paid off, the club would have themselves a significant upgrade on Postecoglou and a bigger name than Mourinho.
Why Ancelotti would be an incredible hire
So, before we look at how he stacks up against Postecoglou, let’s delve into just why we think he’s now a bigger name than Mourinho, as we’re sure it’s a point that the ‘special one’ would wholeheartedly disagree with.
Firstly, timing is crucial in this argument, as during Mourinho’s peak years at Chelsea, Inter Milan and, to some extent, Real Madrid, he’d undoubtedly be the ‘bigger name’, but in the last seven years or so, that has completely changed.
For example, since the start of the 16/17 season, the Portuguese coach has only won the League Cup and Europa League with Manchester United, and the Conference League with AS Roma.
In comparison, the Real boss has won the Bundesliga and two German Super Cups with Bayern Munich and three Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles, one Spanish Cup, two Spanish Super Cups, two UEFA Supercups, the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, all with Real Madrid.
Moreover, the Reggiolo-born mastermind also won the Champions League in his first stint with Los Blancos and twice with AC Milan, so there is a very genuine case for him being the greatest manager in the world.
With all that said, it should come as no surprise that when we compare his recent record to Postecoglou, he comes out so far ahead that it is almost pointless.
For example, in his current stint with Real, the “elite” 65-year-old, as dubbed by talkSPORT host Adrian Durham, has won 161 games, drawn 34 and lost 35, which comes out to an average of 2.25 points per game.
Ancelotti vs Postecoglou current clubs
Manager
Ancelotti
Postecoglou
Games
230
96
Wins
161
45
Draws
34
14
Losses
35
37
Points per Game
2.25
1.55
All Stats via Sofascore
In contrast, the Australian has overseen 45 wins, 14 draws and 37 losses, resulting in a far worse average of 1.55 points per game.
Ultimately, if there is any chance whatsoever for Spurs to sign Ancelotti in the coming weeks, they have to take it, as he’d be a monumental upgrade on Ange.
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