Mark Parsons is back in a job for the first time since leaving Washington Spirit in late 2023, but his new role at Angel City is not that of a coach.
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Parsons out of work since leaving Washington Spirit
Returns to NWSL with Angel City
But doesn't fill head coach vacancy
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Parsons has been out of work for just over a year, having left the Spirit at the conclusion of the 2023 NWSL season. The 38-year-old rose to prominence during a five-year stint at the Portland Thorns which saw him win two NWSL Shields, a Championship title and the Challenge Cup, but he failed to translate that success to the international game, in a disappointing stint with the Netherlands, and his next job at Washington only ended in an eighth-placed finish in the NWSL regular season.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Given his all-conquering success in Portland, Parsons has been linked with vacancies in the women's game whenever they have arisen in the past year, and that wait for his return to the sport ended on Wednesday when he was unveiled by Angel City. However, the Englishman will not be filling the club's vacant head coach role. Instead, he has been named Angel City's new sporting director.
WHAT PARSONS SAID
"It is an honor to become part of Angel City Football Club, a trailblazing and ambitious organization setting new standards in the game," Parsons said. "I am grateful to [majority owners] Willow [Bay], Bob [Iger], and Julie [Uhrman, club president] for their trust and look forward to working closely with ownership and the exceptional leadership team to build on the solid foundation they’ve established. My focus is to foster a culture of excellence, development, and togetherness that elevates ACFC to new heights, with the goal of bringing championships home to the city of Los Angeles."
"Mark brings exceptional experience in the domestic and global game,” Uhrman added. "As we enter 2025 with the opening of our state-of-the-art 50,000-square-foot performance center, Mark will lead our sporting operations, driving our culture and championship ambitions alongside our outstanding leadership team and staff. Together, we aim to set a high standard for excellence, on and off the pitch, and we’re ready to bring home the championship in this exciting new chapter."
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DID YOU KNOW?
In his new role, Parsons will oversee all soccer operations, including the technical staff, the scouting and analytics department, sports medical, performance, nutrition, and player care. One of his first big jobs will be to help Angel City fill that vacant head coach role ahead of the 2025 NWSL season. Eleri Earnshaw has been acting as interim since Becki Tweed's departure in early December.
Manchester United fan and presenter Mark Goldbridge has been left fuming at what former midfielder Paul Scholes has said about both Marcus Rashford and Matthijs De Ligt.
Ten Hag still under pressure at Old Trafford
After another disappointing opening to the new Premier League season, manager Erik ten Hag is already coming under pressure at Old Trafford. The Dutchman has won just two of his opening five league games and could only manage a 1-1 draw against FC Twente in the club’s opening Europa League fixture.
As a result, speculation has been increasing in regards to a potential change led by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Former Juventus boss Max Allegri and Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi have been linked with potential moves to England, with senior Man Utd figures unhappy with Ten Hag for the lack of goals his side are producing and that “patience is beginning to wear thin”.
Ten Hag impressed: Man Utd teenager may make debut after shining in training
He could be fast-tracked.
1
By
Charlie Smith
Sep 26, 2024
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is the latest name to be thrown into the ring as a Man Utd target, however, away from the pitch, Red Devils legend Scholes has seemingly been causing a stir with some of his Man Utd comments.
Goldbridge fumes at Scholes after Rashford and De Ligt comments
Speaking on The Overlap, relayed by GiveMeSport, Scholes believes Rashford has “been up to something” after Ten Hag left him out of the starting line up against Crystal Palace last weekend.
“United are struggling forward wise, aren’t they? They’re struggling for goals this year, they’ve scored five goals, three of them were against Southampton. That tells you that the forwards maybe just aren’t good enough.
“Leaving Rashford out on Saturday was…he’s been up to something, hasn’t he? Come on. He’s not scored in such a long time, and all of a sudden he scores three goals in two games and he’s not playing? He [Ten Hag] said it was rotation…come on, do me a favour.”
That didn’t go down well with Goldbridge, who described it as “crazy”.
Scholes also doesn’t feel as if summer signing De Ligt is a “massive improvement” on Harry Maguire. “In all honesty, I’m not sure it’s that much of an upgrade. He might be slightly better, but it’s not a massive improvement where you think, wow.”
Taking to X following Scholes’ comments on the new centre-back, Goldbridge called it “horrific”.
Chelsea have reportedly put Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen at the top of their transfer wishlist amid links with Real Madrid.
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Hujisen starring at Bournemouth
Linked with Real Madrid move
Chelsea join race for defender
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WHAT HAPPENED?
According to Fabrizio Romano, the 19-year-old is 'high' on Chelsea's list of targets but Bayern Munich are also keeping tabs on him. He adds that the centre-back also has a release clause in his contract that is valid from this summer.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Spain under-21 international Huijsen joined Bournemouth from Juventus last summer for a fee that could rise to €18.2 million (ÂŁ15.37m). In that time, he has starred in the Cherries' defence and that has also led to links with defending Champions League champions Madrid. If he keeps his form up, the teenager – who has helped the Dorset club climb to seventh in the Premier League – could be in line for a big-money move.
DID YOU KNOW?
Huijsen has formed a strong defensive partnership with team-mate Illia Zabarnyi, with the pair conceding just nine goals in 11 games together. This is the best record in the Premier League over that period of fixtures.
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WHAT NEXT?
While transfer speculation will continue to swirl around 6ft 5in Huijsen, whose contract runs until 2030, his Bournemouth side host table-topping Liverpool on Saturday.
It bears testament to Eddie Howe’s tactical nous and management skills that Newcastle United have made headway throughout the first few chapters of the 2024/25 campaign without ever really rising from second gear.
The next few months will serve as a proper yardstick of where Newcastle’s direction is headed this term, however, but one thing’s for certain, Howe might come to rue the failure to bolster up front this summer.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe
William Osula was signed from Sheffield United in a ÂŁ15m package, but the 21-year-old striker lacks polish and fluency and falls under the bracket of ‘work in progress’.
Newcastle's attack in 2024/25
Newcastle needed to strengthen their frontline with some meat, but didn’t. That said, he avoided the loss of Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, with both hotly pursued after the 2023/24 campaign.
Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak
Isak is one of the Premier League’s best strikers, praised as “world-class” and a “nightmare” by well-known pundit Harry Redknapp. It’s a measure of his ability that the Swede scored 21 goals from just 30 Premier League matches last season, missing just 21 big chances too.
Gordon was crowned the Magpies’ Player of the Season after a resounding campaign, and though he was linked with a return to Liverpool, who he played for as a youth, it looks like the dynamic winger is going to sign a new contract at St. James’ Park.
Neither have started the current campaign on the firmest footing, it must be said. Isak’s old injury issues have crept back in and he is sidelined for this weekend’s game against Everton after missing the past two. He has scored one goal across six games this term.
Gordon hasn’t been brilliant either, bagging from close range against Bournemouth and converting a penalty in last week’s impressive draw against Manchester City, but not hitting full stride just yet.
Anthony Gordon scores for Newcastle
It would have been nice to have landed Michael Olise on the right flank this summer, with the France international the missing piece of Howe’s attacking puzzle.
Newcastle fumbled the bag with Michael Olise
Olise is tearing it up with Bayern Munich, having left the Premier League with a storming end to the 2023/24 season, wreaking havoc at Crystal Palace.
He was a coveted prospect alright. Chelsea and Manchester United wanted to snap him up but he felt his talents would sparkle in the Bundesliga, and so he transferred to Bayern in a deal worth ÂŁ50m, which comes across as something of a bargain for one so talented, so jaw-dropping in their performances.
Chelsea had been joined by Newcastle in contacting Palace chairman Steve Parish to ask about signing the dynamo, with it believed, as per Sky Sports, that Newcastle would have accelerated their interest if Miguel Almiron was sold – but, of course, he wasn’t.
One that got away
The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast's One That Got Away series.
With eight goals and three assists across his first eight appearances for the German giants, Olise, aged 22, is proving himself to be one of the finest talents in Europe, though rubber-stamping would be a better term to use, given he was clearly of the first standard while plying his art on English shores.
23/24 Stat Comparison: Olise vs Gordon
Statistics (per 90)
Olise
Gordon
Goals scored
0.64
0.31
Assists
0.42
0.31
Shots taken
3.95
2.49
Shot-creating actions
5.79
4.45
Pass completion
75%
76%
Progressive passes
5.51
3.15
Progressive carries
4.80
4.30
Successful take-ons
2.82
1.68
Ball recoveries
4.79
3.89
Tackles
1.34
1.71
Interceptions
0.78
0.22
All stats via FBref
It’s not just his displays this term that point toward his level stretching above that of Isak and Gordon, impressive though they are, for Olise outplayed Gordon, Newcastle’s 2023/24 MVP, quite handsomely.
He was regarded as “one of the Premier League’s best players” last season by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and Newcastle must wish things had turned out differently.
Forget Gordon & Isak: Howe must unleash surprise Newcastle ace instead
Eddie Howe must make a few changes to his starting XI against AFC Wimbledon
Tottenham academy stars Dane Scarlett, Oyindamola Ajayi and Mikey Moore all scored to see off Elfsborg and reach the last 16 of the Europa League.
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Tottenham beat Elfsborg 3-0
Scarlett, Ayayi & Moore score in win
Spurs into last 16 of Europa League
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Spurs dominated the first half but couldn't make the most of their 12 shots on goal, although Moore and Pape Sarr brought good saves out of Elfsborg goalkeeper Isak Pettersson.
Jalal Abdullai nearly gave the visitors a shock lead early in the second half when his bicycle kick narrowly fizzed over the bar as the game became more open.
Lucas Bergvall should have buried a header just before the hour mark but could only find the grateful Pettersson in goal and then Tottenham's injury woes deepened when second-half substitute Radu Dragusin was forced from the field after an innocuous-looking incident.
Just when it looked like it would be one of those days, substitute Scarlett, 20, lit up Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when he buried Dejan Kulusevski's pinpoint cross in the 70th minute.
Fellow academy product Ajayi, 19, finished well on his Spurs debut with six minutes remaining and youth player Moore, 17, wrapped up the win with a well-taken goal in second-half stoppage time. The 3-0 victory meant Tottenham finished fourth in the Europa League table to qualify for the last 16 of the competition.
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THE MVP
While Son Heung-min was a real threat, Micky Van de Ven impressed on his return to the team after several months out injured, Ajayi scored on his debut, and Moore bagged his first goal for the club; Scarlett got the opener that proved the difference in the end. The 20-year-old academy product was recalled from his loan spell at Oxford United earlier this month and so far that has proven to be a shrewd move.
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THE BIG LOSER
Ange Postecoglou's side have been ravaged by injuries this season, so much so that Spurs have been without more than 10 players for periods. So to lose substitute Dragusin to injury, when Van de Ven is being eased back in, is tough to take.
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WHAT COMES NEXT?
Tottenham, who sit 15th in the Premier League, are back in domestic action on Sunday when they travel to London neighbours Brentford.
England boss Sarina Wiegman is optimistic about the chances of Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway being available for Euro 2025.
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Hemp & Greenwood had knee surgeries before Christmas
Stanway endured same fate in late January
Wiegman speaks on availability for Euro 2025
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The Lionesses trio have all had knee surgeries in recent months, with Hemp's coming in November, Greenwood's in December and Stanway's at the end of January. With England's European title defence set to begin in early July, it is only natural that some fans are concerned about the fitness of these three key players ahead of this summer's tournament.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Stanway's absence in particular highlights a lack of depth in the deeper midfield roles, with the Bayern Munich star a real stalwart in the middle alongside Keira Walsh. There is a lot of competition for the No.10 position in front of that duo, but not so much in their own spots.
WHAT WIEGMAN SAID
Asked about the three absentees when revealing her squad for England's February fixtures, Wiegman said: "They'll be out for a while. Of course, you're always concerned when someone is injured. I think they're all in a good place at the moment but it will take a little longer, and I just hope the recovery goes really well and they get some minutes later on, and are fresh and fit and show the performances."
Asked if she is hopeful that Stanway, whose surgery was only at the end of January, will be fit or if she is a real doubt for the summer, Wiegman replied: "I'm hopeful. Georgia has a plan and she's really committed and very motivated to be back. She had surgery. That went well. I spoke to her and she's in a good place now. Of course, it's first about her health and then coming back, but she knows where she wants to go to, where she wants to be at a certain moment. Let's hope that goes that way."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Grace Clinton, the Manchester United starlet, is one player Wiegman has used in Stanway's box-to-box role before and the England boss reiterated on Tuesday that she believes the 21-year-old can excel there. Laura Blindkilde Brown, who won her first camp in December, is another versatile option who has operated in a deeper midfield role for Manchester City this season.
As Liverpool begin to think about life after Mohamed Salah, they’ve reportedly been keeping tabs on one Premier League winger who’s caught the eye of a number of clubs.
Liverpool transfer news
On the pitch, things couldn’t be much better for Liverpool. The Reds sit top of the Premier League, having lost just once in seven games and conceded just two goals under new manager Arne Slot. Away from the action, however, concerns are beginning to set in over the contract situations of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
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Tom Cunningham
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As things stand, all three star men are set to leave the club as free agents at the end of the season, with fresh deals yet to be agreed. As reported by Fabrizio Romano via LFC Transfer Room, negotiations are ongoing, but a breakthrough that suits all parties is yet to be made when it comes to new contracts for all three players.
Whilst talks remain at an impasse, meanwhile, the Reds have seemingly turned their attention towards a reinforcement who could particularly ease any blow caused by Salah’s potential exit.
According to GiveMeSport, Liverpool are now monitoring Antoine Semenyo, who has caught their attention after an excellent start to the campaign under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth. But that means that those at Anfield aren’t the only ones interested, with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur also keeping tabs on the in-form winger ahead of 2025.
Earning a reported ÂŁ50,000-a-week, Semenyo wouldn’t exactly break Liverpool’s wage bill and represents the type of move that the Reds have made so successful in the past, with the likes of Sadio Mane signing from similar positions before becoming a standout star.
"Insane" Semenyo can follow Mane path
With the Reds once again shopping on the South Coast, Semenyo may yet get the chance to follow a similar path to Mane, who rose to stardom at Southampton to attract the interest of Liverpool. Now an Anfield legend who won everything there is to win in English football, Mane remains one of the best transfers in Liverpool’s extensive history.
Given how Semenyo has started the current campaign, there’s every chance that he could burst into life on the goals front in similar fashion – the Bournemouth man has scored three goals in seven Premier League games to pick up where he left off in the last campaign. Dubbed an “insane carrier” by analyst Ben Mattinson last season, Semenyo is a player to watch.
When 2025 arrives and as Salah’s contract situation remains unresolved, Liverpool may yet make their move for Semenyo in an early attempt to replace their legendary winger.
It is fair to say that the 2024/25 campaign has been utterly disastrous for Wolverhampton Wanderers so far. The Old Gold have struggled to get on any sort of run of form, and are actually winless after seven games. Unsurprisingly, they sit rock bottom of the table.
Naturally that has put reams of pressure on Gary O’Neil, the Wolves boss. They have begun to be linked with other managers, and rumours are already swirling. When looking at their underlying numbers for this season so far, it is easy to see why his side are struggling for any points and why O’Neil is under pressure.
Wolves stats from 2024/25
Wolves’ start to the new season is perhaps surprising for many. Plenty of people, including BBC Sport’s chief football writer Phil McNulty believed the Old Gold would manage to steer well clear of relegation this term. He explained in his preseason predictions he thinks ‘Wolves can avoid danger’, praising O’Neil for his performances last term.
Sadly for the Midlands outfit, it has not quite worked out that way. Wolves are letting in far too many goals this season. Concerningly, O’Neil’s side have conceded a whopping 21 goals, an average of three per game, and the main reason they are yet to chalk up a win, drawn one and have lost the other six.
Shockingly, this is the biggest number across the entirety of the Premier League and the football league. There are several sides who have conceded 20 goals, but none have let in as many as the Old Gold.
Perhaps an even more damming statistic than that comes from FBref. No team has let in more goals this term across the big five European leagues so far than the Molineux side. French club Montpellier have also conceded 21 times, but no one has more than that.
Wolves defensive stats 2024/25
Stat
Number
Goals conceded
21
Goals against per game
3
Expected goals against
15.18
Gap between goals conceded & xGA
5.82 (biggest in PL)
Stats from Fbref & Understat.
When looking at the defensive stats, it is perhaps not a shock that the Midlands club are considering a change of manager. Whilst there are a few suitable candidates out there, there is one option that stands out amongst the rest.
Who Wolves could replace O’Neil with
The manager in question here is former Brighton and Hove Albion boss, Graham Potter. The 49-year-old, who has also managed the Swedish side Ostersunds, Swansea City and English giants Chelsea, has been out of work since being sacked by the West Londoners in April 2023.
Former Chelsea boss Graham Potter.
However, according to a report from Football Insider earlier this week, the Englishman would be ‘very keen’ to take up the job at Molineux should O’Neil be removed from his post. Former Manchester United boss David Moyes is also interested in the position.
Potter could be exactly what the Old Gold need to get their season back on track and avoid relegation. Football analyst and host of The Overlap Breakdown H described him as a “great man-manager”, which could be ideal for the Wolves players now.
Having a new manager who can offer a fresh perspective on things and rally around them, who is particularly great at working with players, could be exactly what the Old Gold need to stay away from a relegation battle.
Potter’s reputation was at its strongest when he was at the helm at Brighton. Using his famed 4-2-3-1 system, from which his side became superb at playing out from defence and technical players on the ball, he continuously improved the Seagulls’ league finishes.
In his first season in charge, they finished 16th in the Premier League, bettering that the next campaign by coming 15th. Potter then defied all expectations by seeing his side to a ninth-place finish, a very impressive performance. Whilst it did not work out at Chelsea, the Englishman showed just how talented of a manager he is on the South Coast.
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Indeed, whilst his first focus will be solidifying the Wolves defence, there are certainly some players who would thrive under his attacking play, including Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-Chan.
Not only that, but he could represent something of an upgrade on O’Neil. In 141 matches in charge in the Premier League, Potter has racked up 173 points, with a points per game average of 1.23. The current Wolves boss, meanwhile has recorded just 83 points from 79 career top-flight games at the helm, with a points per game of 1.05.
Should the Old Gold get this appointment over the line, it could be a superb piece of business which could change the course of their whole season and help them survive the drop.
Perfect for Cunha: Wolves could hire attacking 4-3-3 O'Neil replacement
The powers that be at Wolverhampton Wanderers will have manager targets in mind.
Al-Hilal have made their feelings known about perceived 'suspicious' refereeing, urging the Saudi Pro League to consider importing match officials.
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Al-Hilal slate refereeing standards
Upset by two penalties not awarded in draw
Calling on Saudi Pro League to import officials
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WHAT HAPPENED?
In the wake of Friday's 1-1 draw with Al-Riyadh, leaving the champions a point behind leaders Al-Ittihad having played a game more, Al -Hilal issued a strongly-worded statement criticising the officiating. Al-Hilal expressed a strong desire to see "foreign refereeing crews" that are "known in major global leagues" imported into Saudi Arabian football.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Although the statement was prompted by two potential penalies that were not awarded, even after VAR reviews, Al-Hilal insist those are only the "latest incidents" in a "series of refereeing cases", accusing officials of a reluctance when it comes to overturning on-field decisions.
WHAT Al-HILAL SAID
Al Hilal said: "Al-Hilal Club wishes to express its astonishment at the suspicious refereering decisions witnessed in the first-team's match in the Roshn Saudi Pro League, despite the presence of the latest technologies to assist in making fair decisions. The latest incidents occurred in the team's recent match against Al-Riyadh Club, where two penalty kicks, clearly validated by VAR footage from multiple angles, were ignored. This is part of a series of refereeing cases characterized by their obstinacy, with a reluctance to revert to VAR technology or two award penalties, despite the clarity of the situation.
"The club clarifies that its stance remains firm on the importance of bringing in foreign refereeing crews to officiate its matches, provided they are top-tier referees known in major global leagues. The club hopes that it will not penalized by the recruitment of obscure referees as a result of its rejection of the demands by Manuel Navarro, Chairman of the Referees Committee of the Saudi Football Federation, who has repeatedly asked the club's officials to revert to Saudi referees."
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WHAT NEXT?
Al-Hilal have a midweek AFC Champions League game against Emirati club Al-Wasl coming up, before a huge top-of-the-table Saudi Pro League clash with Al-Ittihad, who could go four points clear if they beat Al-Wehda on Saturday evening. With the last two Saudi champions going head to head, it has the potential to be a major moment in the title race.
Celtic were unable to continue their sensational start to the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership campaign on Saturday as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Aberdeen at Parkhead.
It was an opportunity for the Hoops to go clear at the top of the table for the first time this season but they failed to do so, as the away side battled back from 2-0 down to secure a point.
Both teams had won their first seven matches in the division, leaving them level on points at the top, and they remain locked alongside each other after last weekend’s stalemate.
Brendan Rodgers’ side did appear on course for a relatively comfortable three points at half-time, thanks to first-half strikes from Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi.
Unfortunately, however, Celtic’s defence was too open in the second 45, and goals from Ester Solker and Graeme Shinnie completed a comeback for the Dons.
Celtic were unable to find a winner in the final 30 minutes, after Shinnie’s 60th-minute equaliser, as Kyogo failed to add a second to his tally and substitute Adam Idah did not find the back of the net.
Kyogo Furuhashi's form this season
The Japan international scored his fourth goal in the Premiership this season with an opportunistic finish inside the box after a deflection fell kindly to him in the first half.
Kyogo also assisted the opening goal for Hatate with a superb run down the right channel and a clever pass across the box for his compatriot to stroke the ball into the back of the net.
It has been a strange season for the Japanese marksman so far as he has made a big impact at the top end of the pitch, with four goals in eight league games, but could also have made a bigger impact with the chances that have come his way.
24/25 Premiership
Kyogo Furuhashi
Appearances
8
Goals
4
Big chances missed
9
Big chances created
0
Assists
3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 29-year-old attacker has been directly involved in seven goals in eight games, with four goals and three assists, and it is hard to argue with that level of production.
However, he has also missed a whopping nine ‘big chances’ and he has yet to create a single ‘big chance’ for his teammates, which suggests that the forward is somewhat fortunate to have three assists under his belt.
Kyogo, who has scored one goal in two Champions League games, has not had much competition from Idah so far, as the summer signing from Norwich has produced one goal and zero assists in six Premiership outings.
There is a player in the academy – Daniel Cummings – who could eventually emerge as competition for both players if he keeps up his current run of sensational form.
Daniel Cummings' form for Celtic's academy
The Scotland U17 international has showcased his quality at academy level for the B team in recent seasons and appears to be a player with huge potential, if he can eventually translate his form to the senior side.
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In the 2023/24 campaign, the 18-year-old centre-forward produced an eye-catching return of 12 goals in 19 Lowland League matches for the young Hoops. However, he did struggle to provide regular quality in the UEFA Youth League, with zero goals and one assist in five games.
This season, though, Cummings has been firing on all fronts, with a return of two goals in two UEFA Youth League matches, which means that he has already outperformed his performance in the competition last term.
The Scottish youngster has also registered a stunning 12 goals in ten Lowland League outings in the 2024/25 campaign, which means that he has scored 14 goals in 12 games this season.
Kyogo, as aforementioned, has scored five goals in all competitions for the Scottish giants this term, which means that Cummings has scored over twice as many goals as the Japan international, and is one goal away from having scored three times as many as the first-team centre-forward.
The 18-year-old marksman is putting a marker down at youth level and doing all he can to show Rodgers that he deserves an opportunity to showcase his ability in the senior side, or – at least – to seal a loan move in January to gain professional experience.
Daniel Cummings could be the next Moussa Dembele
If Cummings can make the step up to the first-team and translate his immense goalscoring form at academy level over to senior football then he could emerge as Celtic’s next Moussa Dembele.
The French number nine arrived at Parkhead as a 19-year-old in the summer of 2016 and developed into a lethal goalscorer during his time with the Scottish giants.
He had already scored 19 goals in 64 matches for Fulham, ahead of his switch to Scotland, and this means that he came in with more first-team experience than Cummings currently has, which may be why a loan could be the way to go for him in January to gain his first bit of real experience.
In his first season with Celtic, Dembele hit the ground running with a staggering return of 32 goals and nine assists in 49 matches in all competitions, which included 17 goals in 29 Premiership games.
The former Fulham prodigy followed that up with 16 goals and nine assists in 39 games in all competitions during the 2017/18 campaign, which included one goal in four Champions League outings.
This means that Dembele ended his career in Glasgow with a return of 51 goals and 18 assists in 94 appearances, which is better than one goal every other game on average.
In the summer of 2018, Ligue 1 side Lyon swooped in to secure his services for a reported fee of ÂŁ20m, clearly impressed by his superb goalscoring form.
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Cummings could now look to follow in Dembele’s footsteps by becoming another promising, young, centre-forward to emerge as a lethal scorer for Celtic, if he can take his academy form over to the first-team in the coming months and years.