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Leeds United have endured many outstanding problems over the last few years, with the culmination of their failure to address them being last season's relegation.

However, there could finally be a surprise answer to one of those issues at left-back, should Daniel Farke seek to continue his experiment.

Who is Leeds United's left-back?

Whilst most teams would be able to tell you who their first-choice left-back is with ease, for the Whites it has marked a truly tumultuous role that few have managed to fill ever since the departure of Ezgjan Alioski.

Having joined from Swiss side Lugano, he swiftly became a mainstay under Marcelo Bielsa as part of his backline that seldom stuck to their defensive positions. Tasked with mirroring their opposite winger with immense precision, he also boasted a keen attacking impetus that helped him to thrive in English football, where the full-backs are evolving in importance with every campaign it seems.

The North Macedonia international enjoyed four successful years in Yorkshire, with the pinnacle arguably coming during the 2018/19 term, where they marched into the playoffs only to be dumped out by Derby County.

All stats via Transfermarkt

Despite that, his Championship performances were truly exceptional, as he maintained a 7.03 average rating buoyed by his seven goals, five assists, 1.9 key passes and 2.2 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

However, it must be noted that the season following he was also a key player in their title crusade, scoring some integral goals as he posted another admirable eight goal contributions from left-back, all while retaining his quite bonkers personality.

Whilst the 31-year-old still held his own within the Premier League, a failure to reach an agreement with the club over a new deal saw him depart for Saudi Arabia, thus creating a vacancy in a position he had made his own over the years.

For Bielsa to stride into Barcelona and snag Junior Firpo marked an initial masterclass at first, as it seemed like the legendary Argentinian tactician had produced one of the great coups in their recent history to secure a successor.

Just £12.8m was expended to bring the 27-year-old to Elland Road, with the Dominican Republic international billed as an all-action attacking full-back perfect for the football on display in Yorkshire.

However, he quickly garnered a reputation as a defensive "liability", as noted by journalist David Anderson, with his two years in the English top flight meriting a 6.55 and 6.60 average rating, via Sofascore.

Pascal Struijk, a natural centre-back, was even enlisted to play in his place at times during last year's miserable campaign.

It's fair to say he has hardly staked a strong claim for the position, which still remains there for the taking. So, step forward an alternative. Jamie Shackleton, anyone?

How good is Jamie Shackleton?

One man who could step up is Shackleton, who despite being an attacking midfielder by trade has started this campaign by showcasing his immense versatility and quality in a number of roles.

Just last game saw him stand out in their 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday, as a keen creative threat from left-back with the athleticism to retain solidity too.

Having been handed a 7.6 rating, his 99 touches, 89% pass accuracy and three key passes help to emphasise his continued involvement in the play, via Sofascore. Not to mention he managed to also post two tackles, one clearance and six duels won too.

The £1m-rated dynamo seems set for a run of first-team games after this showing, as he slowly grows into his role following a fine term last year on loan with Millwall. Farke even outlined him for praise, recently noting:

"I really love Jamie. So I think he's sometimes really underrated because he can play all positions wherever he plays, he's always reliable, always solid, always a good teammate, gives us everything."

It seems that Shackleton is gearing up to finally fix that problem position once and for all, with the outstanding traits of the 23-year-old suggesting he too could be the next creative defender to emulate the success of Alioski.

Leeds United are one of England's finest footballing institutions, and as such boasts a rich history laden with European adventures, trophy-winning exploits and supremely memorable moments.

However, the former two have certainly been in short supply in recent memory, with their 2004 relegation proving to be catastrophic for the long-term future of the club. It would take 16 years for them to return to the top flight, enduring numerous trials and tribulations across that period which caused such misery.

The ever-changing and often dysfunctional hierarchies that oversaw such failure were largely to blame, as it was their financial mismanagement which led to dropping out of the Premier League, but even during their Championship stint and a brief flirtation with League One, the decision-making was torrid.

Even in the modern era, the same foolish errors continue to be made, with Andrea Radrizzani the latest villain to add to the long and ever-growing list. It was his choices which led them back into the second division, with Daniel Farke having been handed a broken outfit with the task of leading them to promotion.

That being said, already the German has taken great strides towards such a goal, having invested with intelligence over the summer to bolster a squad that was ravaged by various questionable clauses left in contracts by the old ownership.

With 15 senior players departing, it remained clear one position that needed particular strengthening: a striker. Fortunately for the former Norwich City boss, he got his man in Joel Piroe.

How is Joel Piroe playing?

Unloading around £10m to tempt Piroe to Elland Road marked an almighty bargain for the Yorkshire outfit, as it saw them instantly attain a proven goalscorer for this level.

Having joined Swansea City from his homeland, the former Feyenoord finisher would score 22 and assist six in his debut term, before recording a further 19 goals the following season.

Such consistency in front of goal is a rare commodity nowadays, with former boss Russell Martin having praised his performances: "If you wanted it to fall to anyone, it is him, he is so clinical with both feet, and he is a great technician.

"But the most important thing he has is the right mentality when he gets around the goal. He shows composure, he is calm, and he just focuses on his technique, something that all top strikers possess."

Despite all of these starring attributes, which were in line to make him an instant hit at his new club, Farke clearly has other ideas. Although the Dutchman fired home a debut goal in their first and only win of the campaign thus far, their most recent fixture saw him deployed in a far deeper role, dropping into midfield at times.

Unsurprisingly, this nullified their attack, and they were held 0-0 by a poor Sheffield Wednesday side.

If the German is so intent on maintaining such a tactical notion, he will continue to draw frustration from fans. Many will likely even be harking back to their elite strikers of the past who could fulfil such a role, with there being one true standout in Jermaine Beckford who would surely fire them to promotion if he were to have his time again in Yorkshire.

How good was Jermaine Beckford?

Beckford is a hero around Elland Road, having come up from seemingly nowhere to fire them out of their darkest period as a club.

Playing non-league football whilst working as a repairman, it was a simple start to life for the now 39-year-old, who would go on to become one of League One's most prolific forwards.

However, that all changed when he heard of Leeds' interest: "Leeds United? Seriously?’ I was on my way. It was a two-second decision. I felt really awkward because I’d told Boothroyd I would sign and he thought I was making a mistake. He told me I’d play more at Watford," he told The Athletic.

Even if they would find their way to the Premier League before he did, he explained his decision with immense passion and a love for the club that few players nowadays would understand:

"The thing is — and it’s hard to explain this unless you saw it through my eyes — but once I played for Leeds there was literally no other club in the world I’d have swapped them for. I embraced everything about it, the club, the city, the culture. I’d got a taste and you couldn’t tell me it was better elsewhere. I wasn’t listening.”

Having made his debut in the Championship, after a couple of loan spells, he returned ready for first-team action despite their relegation. The 2007/08 season would mark his breakthrough, as he started it in blistering fashion before finishing on 20 league goals for the year. However, it would not be enough for promotion.

The term following he would improve upon those numbers, but again his 27 goals in League One could not push them over the line and they remained in the division. He would even claim the league's Player of the Year award as if to exacerbate his failure to earn promotion.

It would certainly be third time lucky for Beckford though, who added some creativity to his game to forge seven assists alongside his 25 goals. They would go up in second under Simon Grayson's leadership, cementing the forward's status as a "legend" in the eyes of reporter Anthony Lewis and much of the fanbase. 2010 was at last a good year to be a Leeds fan.

However, despite finally triumphing after years of relentlessly pushing, this would mark the end of his journey with the club he had clearly fallen in love with.

The finances looked no better despite moving up a level, and it almost seemed like the club owed something to the six-cap ex-Jamaica international when they cancelled his contract to allow him to move to Everton.

He would never score with the same consistency that he did at Leeds, but it would have marked an impossible task to maintain such ludicrous numbers.

Beckford is still remembered with fondness today, even despite the stain that his transfer requests left at the time, as he was the man who stuck with them despite all their struggles. The free-scoring forward was not to bail out on his club despite their failure to achieve promotion, only leaving once he'd finished what he started.

Grayson owes plenty of his success to the heroic forward, and were he in Farke's team today, Piroe would certainly have to step aside to let the promotion king do what he does best.

Celtic kicked off their Champions League campaign with a disappointing defeat away to Feyenoord as they lost 2-0 on Tuesday night.

The hosts took the lead through Calvin Stengs as his free-kick from distance curled and bounced up in front of Joe Hart, which prevented the former England international from being able to keep it out.

Hart then made up for his error as he saved a penalty from Igor Paixao but he could do nothing to stop Alireza Jahanbakhsh from smashing the ball into the top corner after a clearance fell kindly for him in the box not long after Odin Thiago Holm was sent off for a late challenge. However, he wasn't the only one to head for an early bath.

Why was Gustaf Lagerbielke sent off against Feyenoord?

The Swedish summer signing was given his marching orders by the referee after he was adjudged to have fouled the Feyenoord player racing through on goal, which led to the saved penalty.

It was his second booking of the match and resulted in a red card. However, it was a contentious decision as the opposition forward appeared to go down rather easily under minimal contact from the central defender, although Lagerbielke put himself in a dangerous position by holding onto him at all.

The 23-year-old stopper only won one duel in his 63 minutes on the pitch and recorded a game-low Sofascore rating of 5.7 out of all starters, which illustrates just how poorly the ex-Elfsborg titan performed on the night.

That said, alongside Lagerbielke, another player who let Brendan Rodgers down badly on the night was Honduras international Luis Palma as he struggled on the wing.

How well did Luis Palma play against Feyenoord?

The summer signing from Aris FC was handed a big opportunity to put a marker down after his move to Scotland and failed to do so.

He left much to be desired in and out of possession against Feyenoord in his 58 minutes on the pitch before Rodgers decided to haul the 5 foot 10 forward off.

As per Sofascore, Palma lost eight of his 11 duels (73%) and failed to make a single tackle, block, or clearance, whilst he was also dribbled past twice. This suggests that he did not provide Greg Taylor with much protection from the opposition forwards down that side of the pitch.

The 23-year-old did not make up for his lack of defensive work with quality wing play either. As per Sofascore, the former Aris star only completed two of his six attempted dribbles and did not create a single chance for his teammates. To make matters worse, his 38 touches were also fewer than Hart's 52.

Throughout the match, Feyenoord dominated Palma as they prevented him from being able to dribble past them or play dangerous passes to his teammates, meaning that he was ineffectual on and off the ball throughout the 58 minutes he was on the pitch.

The score was only 1-0 to Feyenoord until the 76th minute and there was plenty of time for Celtic to find an equaliser to change the game but Palma, along with the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda, failed to provide the requisite quality to make something happen in the final third.

Chelsea chiefs will soon examine who and where they choose to add to their squad in the January transfer window following an inconsistent start to the campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest news involving Chelsea?

Speaking to Premier League Productions, cited via Football London, former Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given has urged one of Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United to take a chance on Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.

Given stated: "He has gone under the radar, but maybe because he plays for Aston Villa. But Aston Villa are a big football club, people forget that, at times. Maybe he is talking about a new contact, at the minute. When you look at other clubs in the Premier League like Arsenal, Chelsea or even Man United. Someone of his calibre. I wonder if his agent is sort of secretly saying, 'he is of that level. He can grab goals."

Of course, Watkins' name has been mentioned in connection with Chelsea in recent times and the England international refused to be drawn on his current contract situation with Aston Villa in the aftermath of their 6-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend in the Premier League, stating to TNT Sports via TEAMtalk: "I just try and let my football do the talking. My goal is to score goals and help the team win. What happens off the pitch is separate."

Football Insider report that Chelsea could land Napoli sensation Victor Osimhen next summer for a cut-price fee due to the Serie A champions being yet to make progress on contract talks with the Nigeria international.

Osimhen is under contract at Napoli until 2025 and will have just 12 months left on his deal at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium by the time the middle of next year rolls around.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Chelsea's transfer activity?

Writing in his Daily Briefing column via CaughtOffside, Romano has detailed that meetings lie ahead for Blues' chiefs regarding their January transfer strategy, though it hasn't yet been decided if they will attempt to bring players with more experience to Stamford Bridge.

Romano stated: "I’m also aware of some Chelsea transfer rumours about a possible change in approach this January that could see them target more experienced players. However, from what I’m hearing it’s too early to know for sure – nothing has been decided yet and more meetings will take place in the next weeks and especially between November and December to decide how to act, and what kind of signings are needed."

Chelsea made no fewer than 12 first-team signings in the summer, who arrived at Stamford Bridge for a collective cost that totalled around the €462 million (£400 million) mark, as per Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, the Blues find themselves struggling for form and potency in front of goal, indicating there is major room for improvement at Stamford Bridge and they may need to dip back into the market in the New Year to bolster squad depth in key areas.

Pep Guardiola gave a sarcastic answer when asked about Trent Alexander-Arnold suggesting that Liverpool's success 'means more' than Manchester City's.

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• Guardiola gives sarcastic response to TAA
• 'I wish him a speedy recovery'
• Haaland & Dias had previously goaded Reds' defender

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool defender Alexander-Arnold had provoked certain City players by telling this week that a greater value should be attached to the Merseysiders' triumphs: “Looking back on this era, although they’ve won more titles than us and have probably been more successful, our trophies will mean more to us and our fanbase because of the situations at both clubs financially.”

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• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Guardiola said: "I wish him well. I wish him a speedy recovery to come back to the pitch as soon as possible."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alexander-Arnold will miss Sunday's showdown with City at Anfield with injury. Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias both responded by goading Alexander-Arnold for City's greater level of success for Liverpool over the past decade but Guardiola did not want to add to the war of words and insisted he felt indifferent about his players' responses. "Do you think we're going to fight because Erling and Ruben talk? We are there and we know what happened over the last years and we are going to try again tomorrow and do a good game," he added.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  City have only beaten Liverpool once at Anfield since 2003 and that was during the coronavirus pandemic-affected season of 2020-21, when there were no fans in the stadium. Asked why Liverpool were so hard to beat at Anfield, Guardiola said: "Especially the quality of the team. The crowd of course but especially the quality of the team. I think it will be nice because it always has been [tough] and we accept the challenge. "

Aside from their defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, which came in controversial fashion, Liverpool have enjoyed a blistering start to the season, winning five of their seven Premier League games, and edging closer to their best.

That's not to say Jurgen Klopp won't welcome any further improvements come January or in next summer's transfer window, with the potential for Liverpool's squad to return to its title-battling best next season, if not before. And that could see them make their move for one particular star sooner than we think, with one agent revealing the price tag for one of the Reds' January transfer targets.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

Having mainly focused on rebuilding their midfield during the summer transfer window, Liverpool arguably left themselves short in central defence, with just four experienced options at Klopp's disposal and young Jarell Quansah recently bursting onto the scene, impressing ever since.

With the injury history of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip, however, to say that the Reds could do with another centre-back wouldn't exactly be an outrageous shout. And that could be their focus in the January transfer window, particularly if Klopp's side find themselves in the thick of a title race.

With that said, a transfer update on Piero Hincapie has been provided by the defender's agent, who told Futbol Sin Casette, via Bolavip: “Liverpool were interested in him, but at that time they chose to invest in the midfield. For January, they are talking like other clubs, it will not be less than €50m (£43.3m).”

The Merseyside club were, of course, linked with the Bayer Leverkusen defender back in August, when German outlet Bild claimed that Klopp is a big fan of the defender. And, now, as confirmed by Hincapie's agent, Liverpool are once again eyeing a potential move, making the January transfer window all the more interesting.

How good is Piero Hincapie?

With Bayer Leverkusen heading into this weekend sitting on top of the Bundesliga and unbeaten after six games, it's fair to say that Hincapie and his side have got off to a flying start this season. The defender, having returned from suspension, has started in two of those six games, including in their 2-2 draw against champions Bayern Munich.

Statistically speaking, the central defender certainly looks impressive, too. According to FBref, Hincapie is in the top 5% of players in his position for progressive passes received, the top 6% for progressive carries and the top 14% for passes completed, highlighting just how much talent the Ecuador international has.

At just 21 years old, the Leverkusen man has done more than enough to earn plenty of praise, including from Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes, who said, via the official Bundesliga website: "Piero’s signing 18 months ago was an investment in the future, back then he was a talented central defender with really big potential. He became a key performer for our Werkself a long time ago, he has shown his international quality in the Bundesliga, in the Champions League and recently at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Piero is one of the key elements in the team who we can count on to help us achieve ambitious targets in the next few years."

Cristiano Ronaldo posed with partner Georgina Rodriguez at a stunning villa in Saudi Arabia after being left out of Portugal's latest squad.

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• Ronaldo poses with Georgina at poolside
• Enjoying family vacation in Saudi Arabia
• Likely to play against Slovenia

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Al-Nassr superstar Ronaldo took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a spectacular photograph of him and his partner Georgina Rodriguez cosying up at the poolside of a plush beachfront villa. With the Saudi Pro League on pause for the international break, the 39-year-old is spending some quality time with his loved ones as he is on a short family vacation in the Middle Eastern country.

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  THE GOSSIP

  After being named in Roberto Martinez's initial 32-man Portugal squad, the Al-Nassr star was omitted from the final list as he joins a host of star players, including Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Otavio, Ruben Neves, Vitinha and Joao Felix, who have been rested for the upcoming friendly match against Sweden on March 21.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo is expected to return to the Portugal national team ahead of their clash against Slovenia on March 26. That will be their final outing before the European Championship in Germany, which is scheduled to kick off on June 14.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After potentially facing Slovenia with his country, the ex-Real Madrid and Manchester United striker will be back in action for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, with a crucial fixture against Al-Tai set to take place on March 30.

Everton are a club that has been financially devastated in recent years, largely through the thoughtless leadership of Farhad Moshiri and his countless questionable decisions.

Although they tried to offset around £170m of their losses to the COVID-19 pandemic, which admittedly devastated the entire footballing world, it was not enough to prevent their relegation rivals from the 2021/22 season writing to the Premier League in a desperate last-gasp attempt to secure safety.

Although it turned into a failed venture, as Burnley and Leeds United have both since been relegation across separate campaigns, they have since penned a new letter alongside Leicester City to the Toffees’ prospective new owners warning them of their reignited intentions to sue, dependant on the result of an ongoing case.

Whilst that is a worry for another day, the task has now fallen onto Sean Dyche to once again navigate them clear of relegation, with a squad delicately assembled for a cut price and easily good enough to ensure their top-flight status remains.

Much of their higher earners have been desperately offloaded in recent years to trim down a heavily bloated outfit, whilst some still linger around. However, with the sheer volume of failed transfers made over the last decade has made it a tough task to accomplish with speed.

Who is Everton’s worst-ever signing?

Due to the frequency of their high-profile failures, it therefore makes it even harder to pin down a sole victor for the title of their worst-ever signing.

After all, it is depressing to note the sheer number of stars signed for huge fees who have left on a free. Gylfi Sigurdsson, Yerry Mina and Jean-Philippe Gbamin are just three examples of duds who offered no return.

Then, whilst the likes of Michael Keane and Andre Gomes still remain at Goodison Park, they provide little in the way of quality on the pitch. The latter hasn't even played yet this season to sum up his individual woes.

However, Ronald Koeman managed to achieve a patented blend of the two with Yannick Bolasie, who marked a huge acquisition poised to usher in a new era of free-spending under their Iranian owner.

With an endless bag of tricks, and enough pace and dynamism to uphold a front line on his own, understandably excitement was high as the former DR Congo international made his Merseyside move.

How many games did Yannick Bolasie play for Everton?

It was to be a truly ill-fated deal, with a promising start almost instantly cut short following an innocuous challenge from Anthony Martial.

The 34-year-old was left in a heap in front of his home crowd after just his 15 appearance in Royal Blue, with their worst fears set to be confirmed. It was an ACL injury, and one that would drastically alter the future of a once exciting career.

Bolasie would only manage a total of 32 outings for the Toffees, scoring a desperately disappointing two goals and assisting a further four. Writer Alex Keble would brand the winger as “really unlucky” following the surgery, and rightly so.

Then, speaking in 2021, the former Sporting CP loanee would outline his turmoil regarding such a torrid period: “I’ve always just wanted to play football. Hence why I’ve probably killed myself going out on these loans from Everton.

“Other players might have said: ‘Actually, I’m coming back from my injury and I’ve got a five-year contract. ‘I can sit here while I build myself up slowly.”

In the end, his desperation to return would fall short, and he eventually departed for Turkey; his last stint in football before enduring a recent unemployed period.

How much did Yannick Bolasie cost Everton?

Whilst the on-pitch failures of his doomed move to Everton were frustrating, the fiscal burden of the deal was what truly disappointed, as it arguably offered a precursor for what was to come.

After all, the £28m expended marked an astronomical fee, matching the then club-record fee spent to bring Romelu Lukaku to the club. The hope was that he might strike up an instant partnership with the Belgian, who remains their all-time top scorer in the Premier League, but that was obviously not to be.

In the end, Bolasie left for free, whilst the current AS Roma star recouped a sizable £75m to offset some of the more lucrative transfer duds they would oversee.

What was Yannick Bolasie’s salary at Everton?

Naturally, a lofty salary would come alongside such a huge transfer fee, given the 6 foot 2 speedster was expected to underpin an exciting new regime.

However, as was the case with that upfront figure, it unsurprisingly backfired terribly. That made his five-year contract and £75k-per-week salary somewhat daunting.

Although what he might have taken from the club was slightly offset by loan spells with Aston Villa, Anderlecht, Sporting CP and Middlesbrough, in total Bolasie would drain the club of a further £9.7m, bringing his total cost up to £37.7m.

To emphasise just how dreadful a deal this turned out to be, when comparing this figure with the number of games he ended up playing, Moshiri actually expended £1.17m for every appearance the 50-cap star made.

Did Yannick Bolasie deserve to earn £75k-per-week?

Realistically, Bolasie did not deserve to earn anything near the salary he amassed. But, the injuries that would plague the skilful maverick were far from his fault, and he was poised to shine at Goodison Park.

After all, the campaign before making the switch saw the Eagles enjoy an ace who scored five and assisted a further four in the league, dressing up such impressive figures with a play style to get supporters raving.

In the end, they saw such a prospect taken from them, and across his entire five years on Merseyside, he would not amass the same figures earned in just one final year at Selhurst Park.

How much did other Everton players earn?

Whilst that £75k-per-week earned did not make Bolasie their top earner, it was certainly not far off from those within the squad during the 2016/17 term, via Capology.

In fact, that title somehow went to Morgan Schneiderlin, who garnered a truly ridiculous £120k-per-week, even more than Lukaku’s £80k-per-week.

The former Palace winger instead sat in third, narrowly ahead of stars such as Kevin Mirallas, Ashley Williams and Leighton Baines, the latter of which is widely regarded as one of the club’s most legendary figures in recent memory.

Celtic already appear to be at work ahead of the January transfer window, and a specific new midfielder appears to be on the Parkhead radar.

Celtic transfer latest…

The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers were busy over the summer when it came to new additions, with 10 new players brought to Parkhead – eight on permanent transfers and two on loan deals.

On the pitch, things have gotten off to an adequate start, with defeats in the Champions League group stages and Scottish League Cup compared to leading the Scottish Premiership by seven points after eight games. As a result, it looks as if there is still room for improvement in 2024, potentially starting in the January transfer window with further signings.

Korean football journalist Jason Lee shared a Celtic transfer update on Jeong Ho-Yeon in the last 48 hours, a player who Celtic were looking at signing during the summer. He stated that the Hoops are interested in the player and that Jeong is open to moving to Europe.

“Celtic have monitored Gwangju FC's Jung Ho-Yeon and he is of interest to the Scottish giants. Jung recently won military exemption at the Asian Games and would be open to a move to Europe.”

How many Asian players have Celtic signed?

Jeong is 23 years of age and appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high Transfermarkt valuation. (Jeong Ho-Yeon transfer value)

Capable of playing as a central or defensive midfielder, the South Korean helped his country win gold in the Asia Games and has spent his career with Gwangju either side of time at Dankook University. In total, Jeong has now made 66 senior appearances for his current employers, contributing to 10 goals in all competitions. Should a move to Celtic materialise, he wouldn’t be the first Asian player at Parkhead, with a number making the move to Scotland in recent years.

At this moment in time, Rodgers isn’t short of midfield options, with Tomoki Iwata, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Reo Hatate, Matt O'Riley, Callum McGregor, David Turnbull, Paulo Bernardo, Odin Thiago Holm and James McCarthy all available to the Northern Irishman. (Celtic midfielders)

Therefore, Jeong could become the 10th senior midfield option on the books at Celtic Park in the New Year, making this a move to keep an eye on.

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has revealed he's learned a lot about NFL after making the move to the United States.

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• Messi embracing new life in Miami
• Learning about American football
• Also reveals his other sporting passions

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi is known throughout the world for being one of the greatest players ever to grace soccer, but he has revealed he does take an interest in other sports. The World Cup winner says his move to the United States has led to a new interest in American football and he has other listed his other favorite sports away from his own profession.

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• WHAT MESSI SAID

  He told the about his favorite sports: "Tennis, padel, basketball, and American football. I'm learning a lot about American football, getting to know it better, and loving it."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi's presence at Inter Miami has already drawn plenty of celebrities and stars from the worlds of tennis and American football to the MLS side. Tennis stars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa have been gifted Messi shirts after taking in a visit to the club, while NFL players Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase were spotting wearing FC Cincinnati shirts when Messi arrived for a game with Inter Miami last season. Messi's arrival in the U.S. has prompted more than 1 million people tune in to watch Miami games, numbers only NFL and college football can compete with.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI

  Messi is currently out injured and missed Argentina's fixtures with Costa Rica and El Salvador over the international break. He is expected to return for Inter Miami's Champions Cup clash against Monterrey on April 3.