da bet vitoria： Having already seen one bid rejected, Celtic are reportedly expected to submit a second offer to sign a Premier League midfielder ahead of Old Firm rivals Rangers.

Celtic take early advantage over Rangers

da heads bet： After just two games in the Scottish Premiership, Celtic are already four points ahead of Rangers following the Gers’ two frustrating draws. Whilst Russell Martin’s side slipped up, the Bhoys defeated St. Mirren and Aberdeen with new signing Benjamin Nygren even netting his first goal for the club in the latter.

Only Hearts have matched the Scottish champions by winning both of their opening games, but Celtic will be hoping to pull away from any potential title rivals to continue their dominance under Brendan Rodgers this season.

After scoring his first goal for the club, the summer arrival told reporters: “That’s how I want to play. I can run a lot so I want to be involved as much as possible and help the team to win, so I’m very pleased with my performance and the team’s performance today.

“It was amazing (his goal) – a perfect cross from Kieran and a solid finish, and I ran over to celebrate with the fans and the team. I’ve said it many times but, for me, football is nothing without the fans. Celtic is such a big club with lovely fans so they’re a part of the team and part of the club, so I’m so happy to celebrate with everyone.”

Even after a solid start to their campaign, however, Celtic are reportedly still on the hunt for reinforcements and are expected to launch a second offer to sign a Premier League midfielder.

Celtic expected to submit second Irving offer

As reported by Claret and Hugh, Celtic are expected to submit another offer to sign Andy Irving from West Ham United after seeing an opening bid worth £2.5m turned down by the Hammers. The London club are reportedly holding out for £3.5m to sell their midfielder amid interest from the Bhoys and their rivals, Rangers.

A source told Claret and Hugh: “There’s a lot of interest but only one bid so far, and that was last month. I think they’ll get another offer soon.”

Despite their £3.5m asking price, it is also believed that West Ham would accept £3m to sell Iriving this summer. In a transfer tussle against their Old Firm rivals, that’s a price tag that Celtic should be able to match before deadline day arrives at the start of September.

Even as he has struggled to match the pace of the Premier League, Irving has still seemingly shown enough to earn the praise of Jarrod Bowen. The West Ham star told reporters in February: “Andy’s worked incredibly hard and been incredibly patient. I get on really well with Andy. I’ve had a lot of chats with him and always told him that I know his time will come because I’ve seen it in training.”

da jogodeouro： To describe this summer as unprecedented for Arsenal would be an understatement.

da supremo： The Gunners have spent big in windows past, but they have never spent as much as they have this year, nor have they made so many quality additions to the side.

Mikel Arteta has been handed a new starting striker, a new starting six, the sensational Eberechi Eze, a host of quality squad options and may now get his hands on Piero Hincapié.

Yet, with the window open until next week, the club look set to make even more additions and are being linked with someone who might have more potential than Hincapié.

Arsenal target ace alongsid Hincapié

Arsenal fans were still getting over the excitement of the Eze transfer this morning when news broke that the club were looking to hijack another of Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer targets.

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This time, it was Bayer Leverkusen’s Hincapié, who had been touted for a move to N17 for some time this summer, but now looks like he could be donning red and white next month.

The versatile centre-back looks like he could be an excellent addition to the Gunners’ already formidable defensive unit, but now it looks like the club is keen on another ace who has an even higher ceiling.

At least that is according to a recent report from Europe, who has claimed that Arsenal are interested in Jeremy Jacquet.

The Belgian journalist has revealed that, alongside other sides such as Real Madrid and Al-Hilal, the Gunners are targeting the highly-rated French defender.

It does not state how much the Stade Rennes gem could cost the North Londoners, but as his £10k-per-week contract is set to run for another four years, he’s unlikely to come cheap, with previous reports stating their asking price is as much as £43m.

However, with the way he is spoken about by those in the know, and the experience he already has, he may well be worth splashing the cash on, especially as he could have even more potential than Hincapie.

Jacquet's sky-high potential

So the first thing to say is that if Arsenal sign Hincapie this week, he would represent an excellent bit of business and seriously strengthen the backline.

However, with him set to turn 24 during the season, we can see the player he is today, and while he will improve, it’s unlikely he’s going to dramatically improve in the coming years.

On the other hand, Jacquet has only just turned 20, is already playing in a top-five league and has caught the eye of top teams like the Gunners and Real Madrid.

In other words, there is a sense that the Frenchman could be one of the next great defenders in world football, much like William Saliba was considered back in 2019.

It might sound like hyperbole, but we aren’t the only ones saying this.

Take respected analyst Ben Mattinson, for example, who has called the youngster a “Rolls Royce” of players and the “world football’s next highly coveted CB.”

More than that, he has claimed that he “has the tools to be a ‘Top 5 in The World’ CB” and that he plays “with a level of composure which makes actions seem so effortless.”

The data backs up a lot of these predictions as well.

According to FBref, despite being so young, the Rennes gem ranks in the top 1% of centre-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues for tackles plus interceptions, just interceptions and long pass completion, the top 6% for percentage of aerial duels won, the top 7% for tackles won and more, all per 90.

Jacquet’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Pass Completion % (Long)

79.7%

Top 1%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.57

Top 1%

Interceptions

2.28

Top 1%

Tkl+Int

4.55

Top 1%

Dribblers Tackled

1.30

Top 5%

Dribbles Challenged

2.03

Top 5%

% of Aerials Won

71.4%

Top 6%

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.07

Top 7%

Tackles Won

1.46

Top 7%

Tackles

2.28

Top 8%

npxG + xAG

0.13

Top 9%

Successful Take-Ons

0.49

Top 9%

Assists

0.08

Top 10%

Carries into Penalty Area

0.08

Top 10%

All Stats via FBref

These numbers paint the picture of a defender who’s nearly impossible to get past while also being brilliant with the ball at his feet.

For comparison’s sake, Hincapie ranks in the top 1% of just one metric for centre-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues: non-penalty expected goals plus assists.

In other words, while the Ecuadorian international is an exceptional defender, the data suggests his ceiling is not quite as high as the 20-year-old’s.

Ultimately, while he wouldn’t necessarily get lots of game time this season, Arsenal should be doing all they can to sign Jacquet before the window shuts.

He looks like he could be a future world-beater, and the last high-potential centre-back signed from Ligue 1 has done rather well for himself at the carpet.

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da esport bet： Leeds United are looking to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch before the transfer window officially slams shut for another year this evening.

da prosport bet： The Whites were reportedly looking to sign Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this week to add to their attacking midfield ranks, after he spent last season on loan at Leicester City.

Unfortunately, Chelsea decided to pursue a loan move for the Argentine playmaker and are now closing in on a deal to add him to their squad at Stamford Bridge.

Leeds were, of course, unable to compete with the Champions League football that Enzo Maresca’s side have on offer, and look set to miss out on Buonanotte.

Leeds have playmaker on their radar

The Championship champions are still in need of another option in the frontline after missing out on the Brighton youngster, and are reportedly looking further afield for an alternative.

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According to LeedsLive, Krasnodar attacking midfielder Eduard Spertsyan has emerged as a potential option for Leeds United on deadline day, as they could make a last-gasp move for the star.

The report claims that the Armenia international is one of a number of playmakers on the club’s radar as they look to bolster their options in that position before the window slams shut.

It adds that Bilal El Khannouss, Dilane Bakwa, and Manor Solomon are also being looked at by the Whites, as they look at traditional number tens and natural wingers on both sides.

Daniel Farke, though, worked with Spertsyan, who was linked with an £11m move to Southampton earlier this summer, and he may be a shrewd addition to the squad.

Why Leeds should sign Eduard Spertsyan

The West Yorkshire outfit should look to pursue a deadline day deal for the Armenian star because he could be an even better option than Buonanotte as an attacking midfielder.

Spertsyan has not experienced English football before, so it would be a risk in that respect, but his form for Krasnodar suggests that he has the potential to be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad.

The 25-year-old star, who was described as an “elegant” player by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is heading into the prime years of his career and could offer a huge threat at the top end of the pitch if he can adapt to the Premier League.

Spertsyan (Russian Premier League)

24/25

25/26

Appearances

28

7

Goals

11

4

Big chances missed

5

1

Key passes per game

2.1

3.9

Big chances created

6

5

Assists

6

8

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Spertsyan has delivered 15 goals and 14 assists in his last 35 appearances in the Russian Premier League, including eight assists in seven games this season.

These statistics show that the £11m-rated star is an incredibly creative player who looks to play key passes constantly each match, whilst he can also provide a significant threat as a goalscorer.

Meanwhile, Buonanotte has produced eight goals and three assists in 58 outings in the English Premier League in the last two seasons for Leicester and Brighton combined, per Sofascore.

This suggests that Spertsyan would be an even better signing for Leeds if they can get him to translate his performances for Krasnodar over to English football this season.

It would be a risky addition, given his lack of experience in England, but his immense form in Russia suggests that it could be worth the risk as an alternative to Buonanotte, who has not delivered consistently in the final third in his career to date.

da cassino online： Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma is facing a very uncertain future under Thomas Frank, following a less-than ideal start to the Dane’s tenure in charge.

da 888casino： Off the field, ex-chairman Daniel Levy has dominated headlines, after the polarising official was pushed to resign from his post after 24 years, with the Lewis family ushering in a new era at Spurs.

ENIC are reportedly planning to pump more cash into the club, and this windfall could be reinvested into their transfer activity in a bid to get Tottenham competing with the Premier League six for major silverware (Sky Sports).

While supporters will be wary of that old saying ‘the grass isn’t always greener’, it is a very intriguing time for the Lilywhites, but it is unlikely Bissouma will be along for the ride long-term.

The Mali international is out of contract next summer and Frank has already penalised the player for persistent lateness to training, which resulted in Bissouma missing out on a place in Tottenham’s 22-man Champions League squad.

Tottenham’s Champions League fixtures – League phase

Date

Villarreal (home)

September 16

Bodo/Glimt (away)

September 30

Monaco (away)

October 22

FC Copenhagen (home)

November 4

PSG (away)

November 26

Slavia Prague (home)

December 9

Borussia Dortmund (home)

January 20

Eintracht Frankfurt (away)

January 28

He was also left out of the side which travelled to face PSG in the UEFA Super Cup last month, with Bissouma yet to make a single competitive appearance under Frank.

The transfer windows in Turkey, Mexico, Portugal and Saudi Arabia remain open for the time being, giving Spurs a chance to offload the £100,000-per-week ace even after the UK deadline on September 1.

Tottenham are open to offers for Bissouma, according to Sky’s Michael Bridge, but Fabrizio Romano says things have gone quiet when it comes to a potential exit for the 29-year-old and Frank’s side are not actively pushing to get rid.

Given the hectic fixture schedule awaiting Spurs, perhaps Frank is planning to keep Bissouma around in case of emergency as a squad player in the Premier League, with the ex-Brighton star fighting his way back to full fitness right now after sustaining an injury.

Bissouma held talks to join Galatasaray in the summer and fellow Süper Lig side Fenerbache also held an interest, but according to West Ham insider Claret & Hugh, Tottenham’s east London rivals were offered the chance to sign him too.

Tottenham offered Yves Bissouma to West Ham twice in a swap deal for Lucas Paqueta

C&H report, via an insider at West Ham, that Tottenham floated Bissouma towards the London Stadium on two separate occasions, with Spurs also proposing a straight loan swap deal for Brazil international Lucas Paqueta.

Before they sealed a £52 million deal for Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, Spurs were actively pursuing a playmaker — seeing two very advanced moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze fall through in very dramatic fashion.

Paqueta was being targeted by Tottenham as an alternative to the duo, but the former Lyon star ended up staying with Graham Potter.

Spurs’ attempts to agree a swap deal involving Paqueta and Bissouma apparently had “no chance”.

The 28-year-old is now attempting to recapture the form he displayed from his early Hammers days, before Paqueta was embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal which derailed his career.

He would’ve been an intriguing signing for Spurs and only the third player to join them from West Ham in 14 years, after Scott Parker and Mohammed Kudus, but Simons’ sky-high potential has the fanbase very excited ahead of the Dutchman’s imminent debut.

da mrbet： Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a £60m opening bid for a “sensational” English star, who could now be open to a move to N17.

Tottenham looking to bolster attacking options despite Simons capture

da betobet： Tottenham managed to get a deal for Xavi Simons over the line in the final stages of the summer transfer window, with Thomas Frank eager to bring in a new playmaker, given that James Maddison has been ruled out with an ACL injury.

However, Bundesliga commentator Kevin Hatchard has since suggested there are some doubts over the signing of Simons, given that he was not always consistent enough in an RB Leipzig shirt due to concerns about his attitude.

It remains to be seen whether the Dutchman can adapt to life in the Premier League, but it appears as though ENIC are pressing ahead with a move for a different attacker regardless.

According to a report from The Boy Hotspur, Tottenham are now plotting a £60m opening bid for Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers, who is capable of playing on both wings and through the middle.

Spurs are said to be implementing a more aggressive transfer strategy following the departure of Levy, and they are now planning to test Villa’s resolve, although Unai Emery’s side are probably not inclined to accept £60m, given that they value Rogers at £100m.

The English attacker could now be open to a move to north London, with Frank’s side taking more concrete action towards securing his signature than Chelsea, who have also been named as potential suitors.

"Sensational" Rogers could kickstart new era at Tottenham

While ENIC have made it clear they have no plans to sell, Levy’s departure marks the start of a new era for Tottenham, who are now expected to be more willing to spend big in the transfer market.

As such, Spurs may be able to compete for Rogers’ signature, and there is every indication he could be a fantastic acquisition, having once again performed very well for Villa last season, picking up 19 goal contributions in 37 Premier League games.

Journalist Eduardo Hagn lauded the England international as “sensational” back in April, and he also proved himself in the Champions League, picking up four goals and three assists in 12 outings.

Rogers is clearly ready to take the next big step in his career, and with Tottenham planning to be more ambitious following Levy’s exit, a move to N17 could be ideal.

da cassino online： Troy Deeney has slammed Aston Villa’s “ego” problem and called out one of Unai Emery’s key players after their dry spell of form continued last weekend.

Villa winless after opening five games

da blaze casino： Very few fans would’ve predicted Villa to be in the Premier League relegation zone after their first five games, but they’re currently occupying 18th place, after drawing three and losing two, scoring just one goal in the process.

Most recently, the Villans came up short at the Stadium of Light, drawing 1-1, despite Sunderland being reduced to ten men in the first half, with Wilson Isidor cancelling out Matty Cash’s opening goal.

The problems have continued to mount at Villa Park, with it subsequently being confirmed that sporting director Monchi is set to leave, in what could be another major blow for Emery, amid widespread speculation surrounding the manager’s future.

As mentioned, one of Villa’s main issues up to this stage has been the failure to score goals, with Ollie Watkins yet to find the back of the net, and Deeney has now singled the striker out for criticism.

The former Birmingham City man said: “The biggest problem is lack of goals, lack of goals from Ollie at this moment in time.

“At this moment in time, you’re the only striker there, you’re the one they’re looking towards and for the start of the season, you’re not delivering.

The talkSPORT pundit also went on to add: “At the moment in time, he just looks off it, he looks comfortable.”

Not only is Deeney unimpressed with Watkins’ start to the campaign, but he is also concerned there may be an “ego” problem at Villa, saying: “It’s a weird one. I thought maybe with [Jadon] Sancho and [Harvey] Elliott coming in, there’d be a bit more dynamism to it. But they must not be fit enough as he’s not putting them anywhere near the starting line-up. It’s an ego thing now, a player-driven ego thing.”

“I think the manager is a very, very good manager, but you have to start looking now and saying: Why are the players trying to play inside the pitch? Why is Morgan Rogers not the focal point?”

Watkins needs to start firing after poor start

No one can deny the Villa striker has been a fantastic servant, having picked up 87 goals and 42 assists in 229 matches, but he must start firing sooner rather than later, having once again put in a poor performance against Sunderland.

The England international missed one big chance and touched the ball just 16 times throughout the match, finishing with a SofaScore match rating of just 6.3.

In fairness, the onus isn’t just on the former Brentford man to start improving, with fellow key player Morgan Rogers also failing to register a single goal or an assist this term, while Shay Given has called Emery out for labelling his players “lazy”.

It is a risky tactic for Emery to publicly criticise his players, but he will be hoping for a response from his side when their Europa League campaign gets underway against Bologna on Thursday.

da marjack bet： While Leeds United fell to a disappointing 1-0 loss on the road at Fulham on Saturday, Sunderland battled to a hard-fought draw at nearby Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

da apostebet： Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats have only lost one of their opening four matches in the league, too, with this battling draw away at Selhurst Park the first point picked up on their travels, which will surely only boost the confidence even more as they bid to beat the drop.

Granit Xhaka impressed once more from the middle of the park as Sunderland’s warrior centrally, with the decision to instantly gift the ex-Arsenal man the captain’s armband appearing to be a masterstroke.

Xhaka's performance in numbers vs Palace

The Swiss enforcer joining the building for £17m this summer did look to be a mightily impressive pick-up before the football had even got underway. After all, this is a player who had once scored nine and assisted seven goals in a solitary campaign for Arsenal.

Now, it certainly looks to be a top purchase for a Sunderland side attempting to make survival look a breeze.

Indeed, Xhaka backed up a standout performance against Brentford, which saw him pick up an assist, with a far more attritional effort away at the Eagles.

Indeed, alongside Robin Roefs heroically keeping the ball out of his net with six big saves, Xhaka would come up trumps, rolling his sleeves up and doing the dirty work, winning a high ten duels and completing eight clearances, meaning Palace were limited in their approach.

However, Xhaka wasn’t the only one figure after the dust had settled on the hard-fought draw that was receiving many a plaudit, with a new recruit defensively sticking out, having been heralded as an “unreal” bit of business by journalist Michael Graham after the full-time whistle was blown.

Le Bris' biggest coup after Xhaka

It was expected that Xhaka was going to be a success, considering the 32-year-old already had a mammoth 225 Premier League games in his back pocket.

On the contrary, Nordi Mukiele might well have been viewed as needing more time to acclimatise to the tough division, having only ever plied his trade in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, before making the late switch to England this summer.

However, it’s clear from his opening two games in the heart of Le Bris’ defence that the Frenchman was born for the fight of the Premier League.

Mukiele’s opening two matches in numbers

Stat

(vs Brentford)

(vs Palace)

Minutes played

90

90

Goals scored

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

84

72

Accurate passes

49/55 (89%)

43/50 (86%)

Clearances

9

7

Total tackles

5

2

Total duels won

12/16

3/4

Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, it’s clear that adding Mukiele for just £12m could now go down as a sensational coup on the same level as Xhaka, with a remarkable 15 duels already won by the gritty 27-year-old across his first two near faultless starts.

With just 13 passes misdirected too, it’s clear that the ex-Bayer Leverkusen defender – who would have known Xhaka at the BayArena – is cut out for the tough fight ahead, having reduced Jean Philippe-Mateta, who is revered for being a handful, to just 31 touches of the ball and one paltry duel won at Selhurst Park.

Having previously shone in the Champions League, it shouldn’t be a shock that Mukiele has instantly settled in. The Premier League can be a tricky beast to adjust to, but the early proof indicates that it’s a phenomenal capture.

Roker Report journalist Andy Tomlinson certainly agrees, with a glowing 9/10 post-match rating handed to the brand new number 20 after he ‘completely shut down’ the threat of Mateta.

With the French defender further heralded as “outstanding” by the aforementioned Graham, the hope will be that both Mukiele and Xhaka can continue to be crucial parts of Le Bris’ machine, as survival is triumphantly secured without any real worries seeping in.

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