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Newcastle United are arguably in their most frustrating patch of form since the takeover of PIF back in 2021, with Eddie Howe's side struggling with injuries, out of the Champions League and sitting seven points adrift of the Premier League's top four after a number of defeats.

With the January transfer window opening in a matter of days, however, the Magpies owners have the chance to secure some much-needed reinforcements for Howe, who reportedly wants three new signings in the New Year.

Among those may well include a Bundesliga star who is yet to even taste defeat in the current campaign. In what could be a bargain deal too, Newcastle could solve one of their main problems.

Newcastle transfer news

Whilst Newcastle may need to be aware of the risk of Financial Fair Play rules, they could still bring in some additions next month if they spend wisely. Despite PIF's worth, not every deal needs to be a big-money transfer, instead, if the Magpies rediscover the same genius that saw them sign the likes of Nick Pope and Dan Burn, they could finally begin to turn their fortunes around in the rest of the campaign. Reports suggest that they could yet make one particularly smart signing.

According to Football Transfers, Newcastle are eyeing a move to sign Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen in January. The central defender's release clause of €18m (£16m) becomes active in the summer, but he could reportedly be available for a similar price in the winter window. Yet to lose under Xabi Alonso this season, Tah is part of a Leverkusen side leading the way in a surprise Bundesliga title race.

Meanwhile, with his current deal coming to an end in the summer of 2025, there are reportedly no signs that he'll put pen to paper on a new contract in Germany. The fact that Tah's agent is the same as Sean Longstaff's could also hand PIF and Newcastle a boost too.

"Strong" Tah could be an upgrade on Lascelles

Whilst breaking up the partnership of Fabian Schar and Sven Botman could be difficult when both are injury-free, Tah would at least offer Howe some worthy competition to the starting duo ahead of Jamal Lascelles. The Leverkusen man would also bring plenty of experience to a Newcastle side which featured several players taking their first strides in European football this season. And as Tah's stats show, he could be an instant upgrade on Lascelles.

For around a reported £16m, the German could quickly become one of the bargains of the winter transfer window if Newcastle make their move. There's no doubt that the Magpies need the defensive cover, given that Howe has just Lascelles, Botman and Schar to call on when it comes to natural centre-backs.

Earning plenty of praise from Joachim Low, the former Germany boss previously said about Tah: "He's a young player with a lot of potential. He's physically strong and very quick. Everything is possible."

CONMEBOL have announced that match officials will have a pink card, alongside yellow and red, during the 2024 Copa America.

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• New pink card in Copa America
• To be used to indicate a concussion substitute
• Teams can opt for a sixth change with this rule

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In a groundbreaking move to enhance player safety, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) has mandated the use of a pink card for the upcoming continental tournament. This innovative measure aims to address the serious issue of head injuries and concussions in football by providing a clear protocol for concussion substitutions.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This summer's Copa America, scheduled to take place in the United States from June 20 to July 14, will see referees wielding pink cards alongside the traditional yellow and red ones. The pink card signifies the need for a player to be substituted due to a suspected concussion or head injury. This new rule was passed ahead of the tournament as part of CONMEBOL's ongoing efforts to prioritize player health and safety.

  It allows for a sixth substitute to be introduced in matches if a player is suspected of suffering from a concussion. According to CONMEBOL, the process requires the team’s coach to inform the main referee or the fourth official, who will then show the pink card to indicate the substitution. Moreover, the opposing team will also be granted an additional substitute to maintain fairness in the game. This means both teams can potentially benefit from an extra substitution if a player suffers a head injury.

• WHAT CONMEBOL SAID

  A statement from CONMEBOL read: "The CONMEBOL Directorate of Competitions and Operations announced that, to the five changes per team authorised by the regulations, a potential sixth will be added to take care of the health of the footballers. This is an extra substitution in the event of suspected head trauma and concussion. To do so, the main referee or the fourth referee must be informed and a pink card will be used."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Once a player is substituted under the pink card rule, they are not allowed to return to the field of play. The affected player will be taken to the dressing room or a medical facility for further assessment and care. This ensures that the player receives appropriate medical attention and avoids the risks associated with returning to play prematurely. Team doctors must then complete and submit a detailed report to CONMEBOL's medical commission within 24 hours, outlining the concussion assessment findings, regardless of whether the player was substituted or not. This documentation is crucial for monitoring and ensuring that concussion protocols are properly followed.

After splashing the cash once again in the summer, Chelsea may have expected to make their return to the Premier League's top four, but they've been anything but a side capable of reaching the Champions League under Mauricio Pochettino so far this season. The Blues, instead, have already come up short one too many times, often taking one step forward and two steps back.

Perhaps looking to spend their way out of mid-table stagnation yet again, those at Stamford Bridge could now turn to the upcoming transfer windows, when they may finally solve their long-standing goalscoring problem, whilst getting one over Arsenal off the pitch.

Chelsea transfer news

It's a rare day when Chelsea aren't stealing the headlines for their transfer activity, given how much Todd Boehly is often willing to spend. Throughout the summer, Stamford Bridge saw a number of arrivals in a major squad overhaul – the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer and many more arrived, only for the Blues' struggles to continue under Pochettino. Now, as the January transfer window arrives, reports suggest that Chelsea could win the race to sign a solution for their biggest problem.

According to Football Transfers, Chelsea are in pole position to sign Napoli star Victor Osimhen. This comes after Arsenal reportedly dropped out of the race for the forward's signature as they are unwilling to match his release clause. Money, in contrast, rarely stands in the way of things for Chelsea who could yet meet Osimhen's rumoured price tag of €130-140 million (£113m-£122m) to land Osimhen, but a move may have to wait until the summer.

The London club may still have to fend off interest from Real Madrid and Saudi Arabia if they are to sign the Napoli man, however, even after Arsenal pulled out of the race.

"Complete" Osimhem would be a major upgrade on Jackson

Osimhen could be a major upgrade for Chelsea, who may finally solve a goalscoring problem that hasn't been fixed since the days of Diego Costa. Osimhen's stats prove as much too.

It's no surprise, given how much success he has enjoyed in Serie A, that Osimhen has earned the praise of Gianfranco Zola. The Chelsea icon said:

"I see a lot of similarities but it’s unfair to compare players from different eras. They both play with a lot of physicality and they are both very good with scoring, taking their opportunities. He’s a very complete player. He’s got a good reference going forward, he can link up play and he’s devastating in the air. He’s a pest to defenders."

With 2024 just around the corner, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Chelsea make their move for Osimhen, either way, they must find their form under Pochettino sooner rather than later, so it looks as if it'll be one to watch with the Blues seemingly in a strong position as it stands.

Mason Greenwood finds himself at the centre of a transfer scramble, with his loan spell at Getafe from Manchester United coming to a close.

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• Loan spell enjoyed in Spain
• Interest shown from across Europe
• Big decision to make in summer window

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The one-cap England international headed to Spain in September 2023 after being cleared to resume his professional playing career. A return to Old Trafford has not been formally ruled out, but the expectation is that his future lies outside of Manchester.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A productive spell in La Liga has brought the 22-year-old forward to the attention of leading sides across Europe, with there speculation to suggest that he is registering on recruitment radars at Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund.

• WHAT TORRES SAID

  Getafe, though, have not given up hope of putting an extended deal in place and remain optimistic regarding their chances of retaining a player that has been billed as “The King” at Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Club president Angel Torres has told when asked for an update on Greenwood: “We depend on Manchester. The idea is for him to stay.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?

  Greenwood’s contract at United includes the option for a 12-month extension through to 2026. If that were to be triggered, then the Red Devils would be in a position to sanction another loan – potentially with Getafe – before mulling over more permanent options in future windows.

Tottenham have set their sights on signing an alternative to the heavily-linked Conor Gallagher after they seal a deal for Genoa star Radu Dragusin.

Spurs aiming to seal Dragusin deal

Spurs are still hoping to seal a deal for Dragusin in January after reliable media source Fabrizio Romano shared news of them already agreeing personal terms this week.

Tottenham now "putting together" offer for "versatile" young attacker

Spurs are apparently readying a proposal.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 5, 2024

The centre-back appears to be chairman Daniel Levy and co's top centre-back target as manager Ange Postecoglou makes strengthening that area of the squad a real priority this month. The Lilywhites have been hamstrung by injuries to both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, two of Postecoglou's first choice centre-backs, with Spurs regularly forced to use Emerson Royal and Ben Davies as makeshift options.

As a result, Tottenham are in advancing talks to sign Dragusin after having a loan bid rejected (Football Insider), but Serie A side Napoli are apparently lingering in the background with their own interest.

Conor Gallagher interest as Spurs eye new midfielder

Amid reports Chelsea could be forced to sell star midfielder Gallagher, Spurs have been credited with an interest in the Englishman who has really impressed under Mauricio Pochettino.

Gallagher, according to WhoScored, stands out as Chelsea's best-performing player by average match rating so far this season – starting 19 league games and registering four assists in that time.

Tottenham reportedly believe Gallagher is "perfect" for Postecoglou's system, but his apparent £50 million price tag could be a real sticking point where Levy is concerned. Therefore, alternatives may well be looked out for, and Royal Antwerp sensation Arthur Vermeeren is apparently one of them.

Tottenham set sights on signing Vermeeren

The midfielder has been in excellent form this season, earning call-ups to Belgium's star-studded national team squad. This has attracted Postecoglou's attention, with a report by Tottenham News claiming Spurs have set their sights on signing Vermeeren.

Sources have told the outlet that scouts believe he has the potential to be another Christian Eriksen with the way he plays, and the 18-year-old is wanted by a host of clubs in England.

Tottenham boss Postecoglou would also likely welcome the signing in January, especially considering their shortage of numbers in midfield, with both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr off to AFCON. There is little else added beyond that, but other reports have claimed Antwerp value him at around £20 million.

Vermeeren is garnering a stellar reputation across Europe following his displays in the Jupiler Pro League this term, with journalist Graeme Bailey telling the Talking Transfers Podcast that Antwerp have a "little superstar" on their hands.

"This guy is special," said Bailey.

"Antwerp have a little superstar on their hands here in Arthur Vermeeren. He really is, from what I’m being told speaking to scouts, they think he’s special. Our understanding is that Man City, Arsenal and Tottenham have all enquired about him, so have Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Juventus, Barcelona as well who looked in the summer at him."

Crystal Palace are desperately in search of a long-term number nine this January.

The Eagles have struggled in the final third this season, with only the bottom two teams scoring fewer goals.

Eddie Nketiah is one name floating around concerning a move to Selhurst Park, but Roy Hodgson's message is clear: he wants a goal-scorer.

Crystal Palace's number nine target

According to a report earlier in the week from talkSPORT, Palace are interested in signing Che Adams this month, with the striker on their radar.

Southampton will accept a fee of around £6m for his services this winter, although the Eagles will face competition from Everton and Wolves for the player's signature.

The Scotland forward will be out of contract at the club in the summer, so the Saints will look to recoup some funds on their number ten or risk losing for absolutely nothing in a few months.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

The stats that show Adams would improve Eze

Eberechi Eze is by far the most important contributor to the function of Palace's system, and he's proving that once again this term.

The 25-year-old has scored three times and assisted once in 12 Premier League starts this campaign, and he's averaging 2.1 key passes per game – behind only teammate Michael Olise (2.2).

Last season, Eze scored ten goals, and the introduction of a true number nine, like Adams, could allow him to reach those levels once again.

Under Russell Martin this season, Adams has fallen second fiddle to Adam Armstrong, who has netted 14 goals for the Saints in the Championship, but the Scotland international is having a quietly impressive season himself, scoring eight goals and providing two assists in just 12 starts.

The table below shows a handful of Adams’ statistics from this season and how he compares to his positional peers in the Championship.

Palace are in desperate need of a striker who can reliably score goals, as Odsonne Edouard and Jean-Phillipe Mateta have only scored eight between them in the Premier League this season. As you can see by his goals-per-game ratio and goals per shot, Adams would serve as a solution to that problem and provide that as a minimum.

With Eze’s creativity, the signing of Adams would give him a target to hit in the box or look for in deeper areas, in turn improving the Eagles' attacking patterns and the number ten’s output.

Football analyst Statman Dave has labelled Adams a “technical striker,” and based on his passing statistics, it is difficult to disagree. Eze was Palace’s biggest goal threat last campaign, and the ability to link up with Adams in and around the box with quick combinations would allow him to be much more direct, therefore increasing his number of chances to score.

In short, Adams is a bargain for £6m, and Palace would be extremely lucky to find someone of his quality for that little anywhere else. Not only would the Saints attacker fix their lack of goals, but he would also make those around him better, which makes this transfer a no-brainer.

Aston Villa forward Alisha Lehmann shares snaps from Switzerland training as she demonstrates skills prior to facing Hungary in Euro 2025 qualifying.

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• Lehmann trains for Euro 2025 qualifier
• Posts images on Instagram
• Swiss forward in top goalscoring form

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Posting for 16.7m fans on Instagram, Lehmann was seen juggling the ball whilst taking flight. In later images, she had the ball balanced on the back of her neck and behind her knee. Lehmann is currently with the Swiss squad preparing for the second game in double-header against Hungary.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Lehmann has scored three goals in her last four appearances for club and country, netting twice for Aston Villa against West Ham and Brighton in the WSL, before also getting on the scoresheet for the reverse international fixture over Hungary last week.

• WHAT LEHMANN SAID

  "Swiss air," Lehmann captioned the post, adding "MD-1" to reference the game coming up on Tuesday.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN?

  Lehmann, having recently had a quick post-season trip to Brazil with other half Douglas Luiz, will be in action again with Switzerland in July when they round off this qualifying campaign with a trip to Turkey and the visit of Azerbaijan. The Swiss have already automatically qualified for Euro 2025 as hosts but are taking part in the process because it also has a bearing on the 2025-26 UEFA Women's Nations League.

Tottenham Hotspur have been active in the January transfer window and may yet strike again, with Ange Postecoglou searching for the formula to secure Champions League qualification come the end of the season.

By and large, the north London outfit have been excellent this season but perch outside the top four, in fifth place, after 21 matches, three points behind Arsenal and Aston Villa.

Postecoglou justifiably felt that the squad's thinness called for reinforcements and he has indeed acted accordingly, with Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner augmenting the ranks earlier this month.

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher has been the priority target for a while now but securing his services will be no easy task for the Lilywhites, with precocious winger Antonio Nusa also being fiercely pursued before the deadline next week.

Spurs confident of signing "ridiculous" star who's a dream for Son

Daniel Levy is preparing a formal offer for this prodigious talent.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jan 25, 2024

While all of this occurs, plans are judiciously being drawn up for the summer transfer window and Postecoglou is pushing for the acquisition of a truly exceptional player.

Spurs' search for a forward

According to Spanish reports, Tottenham are interested in signing Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane in what would be a stunning capture for Postecoglou's project.

That said, Liverpool and Arsenal are both named as suitors and Spurs' hopes of sealing the deal for the £86m-rated winger would inevitably hinge on qualifying for the Champions League.

Out of contract at the end of next season, the Germany international is said to be the perfect fit for the path Spurs are seeking under their manager, and concrete efforts could be made to bring him to the club in the summer.

Why Spurs want Leroy Sane

Sane signed for Bayern Munich in a £55m transfer from Manchester City back in 2020 and has since chalked up 47 goals and 48 assists across 160 fixtures, dazzling from both flanks throughout his trophy-laden time in Bavaria.

Tottenham have their work cut out in convincing the 28-year-old to join Postecoglou's team with vested interest from the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, but then clinching the likes of James Maddison and Micky van de Ven last summer highlights the allure of making this move.

And what a player Spurs would get their hands on, with Sane heralded as "one of the best wingers in the world" by teammate Jamal Musiala.

As per FBref, the 6-foot phenom ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for pass completion, the top 18% for progressive carries and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90.

Such metrics underpin the claim that he is among the pantheon of first-class wingers in the modern game, so effective with his creativity and marrying this technical prowess with raw pace and power that allows him to barge into the danger area.

This season, the £331k-per-week has posted nine goals and 11 assists across 27 outings for the dominant German champions, who do trail Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen this season, and while he hasn't scored across hisn past nine league matches, Sane has racked up eight assists in this period.

As per Sofascore, Sane has completed 85% of his passes in the Bundesliga this season and has averaged 3.2 key passes, 3.8 ball recoveries and 3.8 dribbles per game, making good on past praise that he is a "world-class" star from talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Sane also offers something that can be so important for teams fighting for success at the forefront of the Premier League: the 59-cap international has enjoyed ample success on English shores in the past, and should be able to transport his qualities to the English capital if Spurs do find success in the race for his services.

While Dejan Kulusevski occupies the right flank and is unerringly excellent in his energy and optimism for Postecoglou's side, Sane could revert to his natural left-sided attacking role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, allowing Heung-min Son to wreak havoc from the spearhead.

This would, of course, make a regular starting berth rather hard to come by for Richarlison, but then Sane would undoubtedly be an upgrade, ruthless as that may be.

How Leroy Sane compares to Richarlison

There is probably a tacit understanding at Tottenham that Richarlison will not be the first-choice at centre-forward over the coming years.

Indeed, it may well be more overt than that, with Spurs named as one of the favourites to sign prolific Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez of late.

To his credit, the dynamic Richarlison has been in fine fettle of late and has finally clicked into gear at Tottenham – awful last season, scoring once in the league, after joining from Everton for £60m – and has bagged six goals in the Premier League across as many outings.

But history would suggest that this recent purple patch will not last; the Brazilian has not surpassed 13 goals across any of his seven Premier League campaigns.

That's not to say that he can't play a role in Tottenham's future under Postecoglou's leadership, but the acquisition of Sane would knock him further down the pecking order and perhaps this is necessary to continue the strides that have been taken over the past months.

Few would argue that Son is the superior forward, and while all the data in the world could be collated to corroborate this point, just observe the South Korean in action to recognise his world-class qualities.

They are qualities that could be taken to a new level with Sane plying his trade on the flank beside him, and this is evidently something that Postecoglou has dreamt up as he and Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy assess the best options to propel Tottenham to the front of the European game.

Gareth Southgate's side delivered an uninspiring and concerning performance and were fortunate to leave Frankfurt with a point

England had won without convincing against Serbia in their Euro 2024 opener, and the nation was looking for a response in their second game against Denmark. But they played even worse in Frankfurt than in Gelsenkirchen, even though they again took an early lead, and left with a thoroughly disappointing 1-1 draw.

It leaves them top of Group C and still with a strong chance of qualifying, but it provokes lots of questions about their prospects of going deep in the tournament.

Harry Kane poked home a loose ball from close-range after Kyle Walker's deflected cross in the 18th minute, but as in their last game, England took a step back after scoring and invited pressure from Denmark.

The Danes levelled with a howitzer from Morten Hjulmand, but England had made things easy for them with a loose pass from Kane and slow reactions from both Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice. The Three Lions were lucky to make it into the break level and weren't much better in the second half, despite Southgate throwing on four substitutes.

Phil Foden hit the post and Ollie Watkins caused some danger when he came off the bench, but Denmark looked much likelier to score, and if anyone deserved to win the game, it was them.

GOAL rates England's players from Deutsche Bank Park…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Jordan Pickford (6/10):

  Can't be blamed for the goal and stayed alert to keep out long-range strikes from Damsgaard and Hojbjerg.

  Kyle Walker (7/10):

  Scores highly for the role he played in creating the goal by mugging Kristiansen, and guarded the right flank well.

  John Stones (5/10):

  His passing was sloppy and still looked to be lacking sharpness.

  Marc Guehi (5/10):

  A big drop-off from his display on Sunday. Got himself out of trouble with a fine challenge on Bah, seconds after gifting him the ball. Then switched off at the resulting corner.

  Kieran Trippier (6/10):

  Solid enough but again offered no attacking threat.

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  Midfield

  Declan Rice (4/10):

  His passing was off and he was far too slow to close down Hjulmand. A very poor showing considering his usual level.

  Trent Alexander-Arnold (5/10):

  Another display which underlined the risks of playing him in midfield. Lost the ball five times before being the first England player to come off.

  Jude Bellingham (6/10):

  Played a few key passes but this was a hugely disappointing drop down from his inspirational display against Serbia. His slow reactions also helped Hjulmand scoop up Kane's misplaced pass and equalise.

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  Attack

  Bukayo Saka (5/10):

  Couldn't put Vestergaard under any real pressure and could not complain when he was removed.

  Harry Kane (5/10):

  He may have scored, but otherwise was anonymous in attack and was lacklustre when dropping deep, including handing the ball over Denmark for the equaliser.

  Phil Foden (6/10):

  Better than against Serbia and was the only England player to create much danger. He hit the post and took the silly decision to shoot after a marauding run when Kane was in a good position.

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  Subs & Manager

  Conor Gallagher (5/10):

  Gave England more energy but lacked control.

  Jarrod Bowen (5/10):

  Didn't get much space to do any damage and lost his footing on the slippery surface

  Eberechi Eze (6/10):

  Created some space with his tricky feet but didn't know what to do next.

  Ollie Watkins (7/10):

  Gave England an extra weapon and sparked a few promising moments.

  Gareth Southgate (4/10):

  Has to take responsibility for repeating the line-up from the opener and getting an even worse performance. Also made no changes at half-time, although he did try to change the game later on.

Celtic are back in action in the Scottish Premiership once again as they travel away from Parkhead to take on Hibernian later this evening.

The Hoops have already dropped points in six of their 24 league outings so far this season and most recently in their last match against Aberdeen.

An opening goal from Bojan Miovski, who had been linked with a possible switch to Glasgow ahead of the January transfer window, gave the Dons the lead.

However, Brendan Rodgers' side were eventually able to find an equaliser as Nicolas Kuhn fired in his first goal for the club to make it 1-1 during the second half.

Neither team were able to find the winning goal, despite chances at both ends, and Celtic were held to a draw for the fourth time in the division this season.

After a disappointing result, as the Hoops failed to secure all three points, Rodgers could look to make some alterations to his side to cause Hibs problems.

With this in mind, the Northern Irish head coach must unleash Adam Idah from the start for his full Celtic debut as the towering centre-forward could terrify the opposition with both his physicality and his skills, in place of Kyogo Furuhashi.

Kyogo's struggles this season

The Japan international has been able to replicate his outrageous form from the 2022/23 campaign and is currently on a run of three goals in 14 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants.

He racked up a staggering 27 goals in 31 Premiership starts under Ange Postecoglou, who then left to join Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, last season.

This time around, the 29-year-old marksman has scored eight goals in 24 league appearances for the Bhoys, with a goal every 212 minutes on average – significantly lower than his average of one every 86 minutes last term.

He struggled against Aberdeen as the lone striker for the majority of the match until Idah arrived to provide a focal point to provide him with a foil to play off.

As you can see in the table above, the former Vissel Kobe whiz played the full 90 minutes but failed to register a single shot on target or chance created for his teammates, which illustrates his lack of impact in the final third.

FFC recently published an article suggesting that Idah and Kyogo could link up to form an exciting pairing at the top end of the pitch but with Hyeon-gyu Oh still away with South Korea, Celtic need at least one senior striker to bring off the bench at the moment, so starting both may not be viable until their third centre-forward option is available.

Therefore, Rodgers should ditch the Japanese forward and place him on the bench this evening in order to provide the Ireland international to showcase his quality from the start.

Idah's impact against Aberdeen

The on-loan Norwich City forward was introduced in the 59th minute against Aberdeen to make his debut for Celtic, having joined the club from the Canaries on deadline day.

It took just four minutes for the young gem to make his mark on the game as he sharply and intelligently held onto the ball and turned in the box before laying it off for Kuhn to strike, via a deflection, into the bottom corner.

Idah went on to create two more chances for his teammates and was unfortunate not to have a second assist when Matt O'Riley crashed a shot off the post, after a fantastic first-time pass through to the Danish magician.

The £23k-per-week dynamo created three chances and won 100% of his aerial duels (2/2) in just 31 minutes of action on the pitch against the Dons. Only Luis Palma (3.3) had managed three or more key passes per match within the squad and Idah did it in just over a third of the game.

Along with his creative talent the 22-year-old forward, whom Rodgers hailed as having "huge potential" in the clip below, is also a goalscorer who can be ruthless in front of goal.

The Norwich academy graduate plundered six goals from an xG of 5.83 across 28 appearances in the Championship during the first half of the season, despite only starting 12 of those matches.

This shows that he can make the most of the chances that come his way in the box, which suggests that Idah could thrive off the service that Palma and Kuhn could provide out wide.

Standing at 6 foot 3, with pace to burn, the Ireland international could terrify Hibs with his physical attributes, his creativity, and his clinical finishing in front of goal, as he appears to be the full package as a modern-day centre-forward.

Celtic's creative wingers

Rodgers could unleash two terrific creators on either flank for the Hoops this evening to provide a constant threat and create plenty of chances for the Norwich loanee to score.

Firstly, Palma has been a fantastic addition since his move from Aris last summer and has quickly adapted to life in Scotland with his consistent quality in the final third.

The 24-year-old magician has produced five goals, nine assists, and 12 'big chances' created in 19 Premiership appearances for the Scottish giants, to go along with 3.3 key passes per game.

No other Celtic player has created more than seven 'big chances' for their teammates in the division this season, which illustrates how impressive Palma's creativity has been, as he can regularly create huge openings for his fellow attackers.

Kuhn, meanwhile, spent the first half of the campaign with Rapid Wien in the Bundesliga and showcased his creative qualities for the Austrian side, as you can see in the table below.

The German wizard created more big chances than any Celtic player, excluding Palma, as aforementioned, did during the first half of the season.

Therefore, Kuhn and the Honduras international could be the perfect wingers to start either side of Idah, as they have the creative skills to provide the forward with high-quality opportunities in front of goal, whilst they could also benefit from his key passes to get on the scoresheet themselves.