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The Athletic’s Celtic correspondent Kieran Devlin has refused to rule out the possibility of Johnny Kenny breaking into the first team before the end of the campaign.

The Lowdown: Kenny arrival

The Hoops pipped Hibernian to Kenny’s services earlier this month, with the 18-year-old joining from Sligo Rovers in a deal worth £135,000.

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Hailed as ‘really important’ by Sligo manager Liam Buckley, Kenny scored 12 times in 34 senior appearances for his former club before penning a five-year deal at Celtic Park.

Celtic didn’t specify where Kenny would initially feature when announcing the transfer, although he is yet to make a matchday squad under Ange Postecoglou.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin ran a Q&A on The Athletic for Celtic’s Scottish Cup game with Alloa on Saturday and was asked by one supporter before the match if Kenny could break into Postecoglou’s first-team plans or if he was mainly for the club’s B team.

The journalist didn’t rule out a possible breakthrough for the teenager before the end of the season, saying: “I understand he was signed first and foremost for the Bs, but who knows what the season holds further down the line. Depends how well he trains.”

The Verdict: Interesting…

Kenny already has a proven goalscoring record at senior level, albeit in the League of Ireland, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he were making the matchday squad before the season comes to an end.

Should Albian Ajeti leave the club before the month is out, as is expected, Kenny would be one of just two out-and-out centre-forwards at the club alongside Georgios Giakoumakis.

The Hoops have also had terrible luck with injuries this season, with star forward Kyogo Furuhashi currently out, so if Kenny stays fit and firing for the B team, then he may well get his chance under Postecoglou in the next few months.

In other news: ‘Absolute travesty’ – Journalist reacts as Celtic swoop for Jota now in ‘doubt’

Hampshire secured the Friends Provident t20 in extraordinary style by losing fewer wickets than Somerset after scores finished level after a crazy final two overs that turned a comfortable chase into a mad scramble across the line

Andrew McGlashan at the Rose Bowl14-Aug-2010
Scorecard
Sean Ervine powered Hampshire with 44 in an extraordinary finish at the Rose Bowl•Getty ImagesHampshire secured the Friends Provident t20 in extraordinary style by losing fewer wickets than Somerset after scores finished level after a frantic final two overs that turned a comfortable chase into a mad scramble. It ended with Dan Christian, who had to call for a runner for the final ball, scoring a leg bye and then, forgetting his injury, sprinting the length of the pitch only for Somerset to miss the chance to run him out and secure victory themselves. One-hundred-and-fifty-one matches came down to one ball.The game looked done and dusted when the penultimate over started with Hampshire needing 11 to win, but Ben Phillips claimed two wickets as he removed Neil McKenzie for 52 then had Michael Carberry caught for a duck from a top edge. In between he’d seen Sean Ervine spilled at deep square-leg by Nick Compton, who was only on the field because of a horrid eye injury suffered by Kieron Pollard at the end of Somerset’s innings.The final over began with eight needed and both batsmen swung at fresh air while Craig Kieswetter missed two chances to hit the stumps with under-arms. Off the penultimate ball Christian pulled his hamstring coming back for a second which meant Jimmy Adams had to come out as a runner. When Christian missed the last ball it looked mighty close for lbw, but replays showed it was just sliding down leg side, yet still there was confusion.Eventually the result was confirmed by the umpires and Hampshire launched into their celebrations, led by the 39-year-old Dominic Cork who had been pacing the sidelines during the closing stages. In the final outcome his last over of the Somerset innings proved vital as he conceded just three runs, claimed two wickets and sent Pollard to hospital as a sharp bouncer squeezed between the grill into his right eye. It was an incident that shook Cork.Pollard’s absence in the field left Somerset a key bowler and fielder short and it became telling after Hampshire started the chase with a string of boundaries. Abdul Razzaq helped them collect the best Powerplay score of the day with the fifty stand coming off 29 balls, a significant achievement on a surface being used for its third match in nine hours. However, two balls before the fielding restrictions were lifted Razzaq got a top edge against Peter Trego and Kieswetter just managed to settle under the spiralling catch as it dropped from the floodlights.Three balls later James Vince was on his way after a sharp piece of work from James Hildreth at short third-man who threw to the keeper while still on his knees. The chase then went into accumulation mode as Adams and McKenzie consolidated while Marcus Trescothick juggled his attack without Pollard. His sixth bowler proved an inspired choice as Arul Suppiah removed Adams via an inside edge into the stumps first ball.Then came the major stand as McKenzie and Ervine used all their experience to soak up the pressure as they added 79. It was smart, risk-free batting which kept the required rate under control until McKenzie had a rush of blood and carved a catch to cover. It looked nothing more than a minor blip, but it almost turned the match completely on its head.With the rare situation of a home team being in a final it was one of the better attended conclusions to the tournament where the last game has often been played to large sections of empty seats as supporters from eliminated sides head home. Some did filter out during the day, but the stands were still well populated during the mad closing stages.Somerset’s innings only came to life in the second half as Kieswetter anchored the effort with 71 off 59 balls. After a stodgy start, where he took 37 balls to make 29, he hit 42 off his last 22 deliveries having done well not to throw his innings away as the pressure mounted. It’s a display that is likely to come in for criticism, and Kieswetter still isn’t back to his best, but a straight six off Danny Briggs and another cover drive that cleared the ropes were positive signs.Crucially for Hampshire’s hopes, they snuffed out Trescothick before he could do major damage having threatened something violent with 19 from eight balls. After his second six he managed to pull a long hop to midwicket and couldn’t believe what he had done. With Kieswetter and Trego not connecting cleanly the boundaries dried up.Key to that was another impressive spell of left-arm spin from Briggs to follow his 3 for 29 in the semi-final. He isn’t afraid to give the ball a rip and throw it up a touch, easier said than done when batsmen want to charge, and he is a rapidly developing cricketer.That was one of the most pleasing aspects about Hampshire’s success.Although the main part of their chase was fashioned by two former seasoned internationals – and the end was chaotic – there is a strong core of English youth in the side which can help carry them forward.They said they didn’t want Kevin Pietersen and their faith has been fully justified. Even if it was too close for comfort.

The transfer window slams shut next week and Rangers have been relatively busy in the market as they have brought in two players and sold one from Ibrox for a club-record fee.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has signed James Sands and John Souttar, whilst selling Nathan Patterson north of the border too. He has also recalled striker Cedric Itten from his loan and reintegrated him into the first-team set-up.

In the last week or so of the window, the Gers may have some big decisions to make on players whose deals expire in July. One player who could be in trouble of being cut loose is Canadian midfielder Scott Arfield, with the 33-year-old’s contract up in the summer.

Axe him

Van Bronckhorst could jettison him from the squad this month or in the summer by bringing in a new player. He has missed a whopping five ‘big chances’ in the Premiership this season and lost 65% of his individual duels, whilst only creating 0.6 chances per game – as per SofaScore – and this suggests that it could be time for him to be axed.

One attacking midfielder who has been linked with a switch to the club is 18-year-old PSG youngster Xavi Simons.

He too is out of contract at the end of the season and this means that the Gers could replace Arfield without having to splash millions and millions in the transfer market. Instead, they could snap up the teenage Dutchman on a free and pay a nominal compensation fee via tribunal or through an agreement with PSG.

In doing so, they could land a terrific player for the future as Simons has shown immense potential in his fledgling career to date.

Football scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him as “phenomenal” earlier this season for his form in the academy side with the French giants. He has scored five goals and provided six assists in 13 appearances for the U19’s, showing off his quality at youth level.

This suggests that he is already too good to be playing reserve team football and that is emphasised by his first-team involvement in France this term. He has played four times for the Ligue 1 side this season, picking up one assist in those games.

His agent, Mino Raiola, previously stated that his client has a “big future” and PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino believes that he will mature with time, saying: “Xavi Simons? There is a big difference between the reserve and the first team. Xavi can play in different positions; as a torchbearer, he can also play on the side. Maturity comes with time; you have to take into account the leadership of the team and complementarities.”

Therefore, he could have the potential to improve further over the years and develop into a top player, which is why he could be a fantastic replacement for Arfield as the ex-Burnley man is nearing the end of his career.

AND in other news, Rangers could finally axe “really poor” lightweight by landing £2.8m-rated playmaker…

Everton had a rather turbulent January behind the scenes with numerous fan protests against Farhad Moshiri, Rafa Benitez getting the sack, Frank Lampard being appointed as his replacement as well as seeing numerous players moving in and out of the club.

Despite seeing five new players join the Toffees such as Dele Alli, Donny van de Beek, Anwar El Ghazi, Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko, one player that was linked with a move to Goodison Park last month that didn’t end up joining was Dejan Kulusevski.

The winger did end up eventually leaving Juventus last month for a move to fellow Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur on an 18-month loan deal with an option to buy if certain criteria are met.

Since arriving at the north London club, the 21-year-old has made four appearances in the Premier League for Antonio Conte’s side, scoring one goal and providing one assist, both of which came during their recent 3-2 win over Manchester City.

This shows how capable he is of being an attacking threat in the league, especially against a top side such as City and why Moshiri could now be having nightmares over missing out on bringing the winger to Goodison.

In addition to this, the Sweden international’s performances have also highlighted the promise that the youngster has shown in the early stages of his Spurs spell, with WhoScored giving him an overall rating of 6.65/10, which is higher than the likes of Alli and Van de Beek at Everton.

Labelled as a “monster” in the past by Italian football expert Nima Tavallaey Roodsari, the £27m-rated attacker has shown just how vital he could have been for the Toffees if they managed to secure his signature in January, especially considering how Lampard’s side have scored fewer goals than Leeds United, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace so far this season.

Moving forward, the Toffees will have to forget about Kulusevski and focus on getting their January recruits and the other players in their squad to start getting some consistent and positive results under their belt from now until the end of the season so they avoid getting relegated.

But, given his start in the Premier League, Lampard will surely be gutted at missing out on the Swede.

In other news: This Everton starlet is impressing behind-the-scenes at Finch Farm…

Sri Lanka’s final 50-over warm-up before the series with Australia next week was washed out in Sydney

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-2010Match abandoned New South Wales v Sri Lankans
ScorecardRain delay: Muttiah Muralitharan works out in the indoor nets at the SCG•Getty ImagesSri Lanka’s final 50-over warm-up before the series with Australia next week was washed out in Sydney. After beating Queensland on Friday, the visitors were hoping for some more fine-tuning but the covers stayed on and the contest was called off without a ball being bowled.Any practice was limited to the SCG’s indoor nets and Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara both had a light session. The tourists play New South Wales in a Twenty20 fixture on Wednesday before facing the Australians in a T20 international in Perth on Sunday. The three-match one-day series begins in Melbourne on November 3.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now dropped a ‘big’ Newcastle United claim involving the summer window.

The Lowdown: Striker wanted

The St. James’ Park faithful have been linked with a number of big-name strikers ahead of the summer, including the likes of Paulo Dybala and Darwin Nunez.

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It was reported that their move for Reims striker Hugo Ekitike in the January transfer window was called off after a £33m bid was accepted, so he is another one that the North East club could look to revisit.

The Latest: ‘Big’ signing?

Speaking to The Transfer Tavern, when asked if the Tyneside outfit will sign Ekitike in the summer, Jones shared that the Toon Army should be ‘optimistic’ that they will sign a ‘big’ striker as well as him:

“But I think they should also be optimistic that this won’t be the only signing they make. I think they’ll really look at that frontline. I think somebody will be moved on. And I think another gap will open up for a big man to come in.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The fact that the Magpies could sign two new strikers, and one of them being the highly-rated Ekitike, is surely exciting.

Callum Wilson has been suffering from constant injury problems throughout the season, while Chris Wood has only managed to score two goals since arriving from Burnley in January.

Thus, they could do with some more firepower up top to help really kickstart the long-term project.

Nonetheless, they should have the budget to do it, given that they are backed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

In other news, find out what worrying Allan Saint-Maximin update has now emerged here!

Ricky Ponting isn’t giving up the pull and hook shots but he’s going to think more carefully about when to play them. That attitude threatens to cause Ponting even more problems than his faltering cross-bat swipes have over the past year

Peter English in Brisbane24-Nov-2010Ricky Ponting isn’t giving up the pull and hook shots but he’s going to think more carefully about when to play them. That attitude threatens to cause Ponting even more problems than his faltering cross-bat swipes have over the past year.Hooks and pulls are unveiled on instinct, in the split-second when a batsman judges the difference in length. Adding extra time to consider whether the shot is safe cuts down the moments needed to play it – or avoid the ball. The catch 22 could provide more chances to fine leg or sore elbows like the one Kemar Roach delivered in Perth last year, which eventually resulted in Ponting modifying an approach that has gained him so many runs.From the moment Roach had Ponting wincing, opposition fast bowlers sensed a weakness. Instead of a solid stance, Ponting became jumpy, even though he remained determined to keep swinging. Pride and programming could not alter his outlook and he fell to cross-bat errors against Pakistan in Melbourne and Sydney, and almost went first ball in Hobart. Age and softening reflexes were blamed for his mistakes along with the painful elbow.In the off-season Ponting attempted to eliminate the errors but he has opened his summer by pulling terminally against Sri Lanka in an ODI and last week was bounced out by Shane Watson. Watson is sharp, but not express, so by that gauge the England bowlers will be capable of adding further confusion to Ponting’s dilemma.”I have to choose the right ball to play, choose the right ball not to play,” Ponting said. “Probably my biggest strength in playing the short balls over the years is making sure I’m playing the shot to the appropriate ball. In the last 12 months I’ve probably been a bit the other way, been a bit keen to get away and get on top of the short-pitched bowling and got out.”Mitchell Johnson thinks Andrew Strauss’s pulling is also suspect so both captains will be ready for bouncers. “I’ve had to deal with a lot of short balls in the past,” Strauss said. “I’m quite happy with my technique against it. If Mitchell wants to let us know their bowling plans a day early that’s very kind of him.”Both captains are involved early in the innings, increasing the prospects of a bumper opening to the five-Test contest. Ponting is a master at starting the series with a big score and is particularly effective against England. He has opened the past two home Ashes campaigns at the Gabba with 123 and 196 in the first innings, and also posted 150 in Australia’s opening reply to England in Cardiff last year.”It’s to do with the challenge you’re confronted with as an experienced player and a top-order batsman and leader of your team,” Ponting said. “I’ve always really focused on making sure that I’m right for that first innings of the series. I feel that I have a big say in how a series develops.”As the one great player in the home side, Ponting needs huge returns to lift his team and also to avoid becoming only the second Australia captain to lose the Ashes three times. “I’ve worked hard the last eight weeks to be right to go,” he said. “Hopefully there’s another hundred there for me tomorrow.”

Tottenham Hotspur have reignited their interest in Antonio Rudiger after a fresh plea from manager Antonio Conte, according to club sources.

What’s the word?

As revealed by Football Insider this week, the north London outfit are back in the race to sign the out-of-contract Chelsea centre-back this summer in a fresh twist behind-the-scenes – just a few months after being ruled out of the running.

The 29-year-old German has been long admired by Spurs and the Italian head coach, who he once managed at Stamford Bridge, having been a top target last summer and during the recent winter window.

It now appears as if the Lilywhites will make another push to seal his signature ahead of some of Europe’s elite, including Barcelona and Bayern Munich, after the 52-year-old made it clear that he wants to be reignited with his ex-star to supremo Daniel Levy.

Conte is believed to be ‘pushing hard’ to sign the free agent and it will now be a test of the chairman’s ambition heading into a big summer of business.

Rudiger coup

Whilst Spurs are far away from being the front-runners to seal the Germany international, if they manage to secure him next season, it would surely be something of a major coup for the club.

They would not only be prising him away from their arch-rivals – the Blues – but he would also fill a big need of Conte’s as he searches for a central defensive addition this summer.

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If Spurs want to keep Conte on board for the long term, then there won’t be a bigger statement of intent than signing Rudiger, who played 45 times under the Italian at Chelsea.

They clearly had a positive relationship with the defender lauding his coach as “very good” during their stint together.

Despite his contractual situation, Rudiger has remained an imperative member of Thomas Tuchel’s side, having featured in 47 games across all competitions, on the back of their Champions League triumph last term.

Across 28 league starts, the £31.5m-rated titan has won an average of 1.8 headers and 1.3 tackles per game, whilst being equally adept on the ball, managing a seasonal passing accuracy of 87.8%, so it’s no wonder Conte retains an interest as his ball-playing and physical ability would be an ideal fit in N17.

Such form for the Blues has led to some high praise indeed.

Premier League great Rio Ferdinand, now a pundit for BT Sport, lauded the 6 foot 3 colossus as an “animal,” with his current boss describing his performance against Real Madrid earlier this month as “world-class” and “outstanding.”

Given his current value, form, ability and suitability to Conte, as evident above, Rudiger would indeed be a major coup for the north Londoners this off-season. Fabio Paratici and his recruitment team must now deliver for Levy as the supremo will want to keep the Italian as happy as possible.

AND in other news, Paratici can land his next Bentancur as Spurs eye £21m talent whose “tempo is perfect”…

Celtic still have some important games left to play in the SPFL before the season draws to an end and the next summer transfer window opens for business.

However, it seems as though one potential deal has emerged as something the Bhoys could look to complete before their next campaign gets underway.

What’s the news?

According to the Daily Mail (via Daily Record), Bodo/Glimt star Ola Solbakken is a potential summer transfer target for the Hoops if they are unable to strike a permanent deal for current loan star Jota.

Since joining the Norwegian club back in the 2020 January transfer window, the 23-year-old has gone on to make 71 appearances for his side across all competitions.

In those appearances, the winger has managed to score 17 goals and provide 18 assists along the way.

This highlights just how much of an attacking threat he can be.

Postecoglou would love him

Throughout his career, the attacker has been deployed on the left and right wings, delivering goal contributions from both sides, showing just how versatile he is on the pitch.

In comparison to Solbakken, the Portuguese attacker has scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists in 35 appearances for the Bhoys across all competitions since his arrival from Benfica on loan last summer.

The Hoops will be very familiar with what sort of player Solbakken is, as he scored a goal and provided an assist during the two meetings between the clubs in the UEFA Europa Conference League earlier this season.

Currently valued at £1.8m according to Transfermarkt, the Norway international has been likened to former Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Real Madrid winger Arjen Robben in terms of his attacking moves on the pitch. Moreover, he’s been likened to a certain Norwegian forward too with BT Sport describing one of his goals in Europe as having “serious Haaland vibes.”

Taking all of this into account, it’s safe to suggest that Postecoglou would be delighted to have a player like the Norwegian in his squad that is capable of scoring and creating goals as well as playing in numerous positions.

Moving forward, while securing a permanent deal for Jota should undeniably be their first port of call for the summer, having Solbakken as a potential backup option is not a bad one to have given his attacking talents.

In other news: Sold for £2.5m, now worth £8.1m: 27 y/o could’ve been Celtic’s “player of the season”

Gautam Gambhir has called India’s eight-wicket win over New Zealand in the second ODI in Jaipur “a complete team effort”

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2010Gautam Gambhir has called India’s eight-wicket win over New Zealand in the second ODI in Jaipur “a complete team effort”, and said they would aim to win the series in the next game in Baroda on Saturday. Gambhir made an unbeaten 130 from 116 balls standing in for regular captain MS Dhoni, to help India overhaul their target with seven overs to spare.He was full of praise for his bowlers, especially Sreesanth, who took 4 for 47, for the way they bowled on what was a fairly flat track at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium. “I always felt the wicket was going to improve. I was looking to time the ball and it worked. They batted well and 259 was a decent total, but our bowlers did a good job to contain them.”Sreesanth has got his Test rhythm in ODI cricket as well, and he’s had two really good games this series.”Ashish Nehra, on the other hand, did not have a good game, going wicketless and conceding 45 runs from his 9 overs. “Every bowler has an off day and Ashish is an experienced campaigner, and is bowling in good rhythm,” Gambhir said. “One can always have a bad day.”Gambhir was also pleased with his own form, saying scoring a hundred as captain was special, but winning the game was even more special. “I was enjoying there in the middle and the ball was coming onto the bat nicely, it was not spinning.” Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, called Gambhir’s century “one of the best one-day innings I have seen.”While Vettori was happy with the way his batsmen played, he criticised his team’s poor bowling performance. “We should have bowled better, we gave width to Gambhir all day and he made us pay for that. If you do that on slowish wickets, it’s difficult to control the run-rate.”The loss was New Zealand’s seventh in a row in one-dayers, but Vettori shrugged it off, saying, “We can’t get caught up in history.”