Everton boast something of a knack for developing English football's finest talents, welcoming exciting youngsters onto the scene season after season.

The Premier League club's senior set-up has not quite matched the prosperity of its youth cluster across recent years, with Everton spending the past two campaigns battling against relegation and now poised for further travails moored in the lower echelon of the division after picking up just one point from five matches so far this term.

Sean Dyche certainly has his work cut out for him, with the Toffees finishing the 2022/23 campaign as the division's second-lowest scorers and blanking across each defeat since the summer.

The bright spark on the blue half of Merseyside comes in the form of Jarrad Branthwaite, who has returned to his parent club after excelling out on loan in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven last year.

The 21-year-old has been praised for his "absolutely fantastic" displays in Everton's defence by some in the media, and looks to be one of the brightest stars to have emerged at Goodison Park over recent years, having already attracted attention from the likes of Manchester United this year.

While not actually an Everton academy graduate, the Merseyside outfit did foster the rise of one John Stones, who is now considered one of the very best players in world football.

Why did Everton sell John Stones?

In 2013, Everton signed England U19 defender Stones from Barnsley for a fee in the region of £3m; he was 18-years-old, but already viewed as one of the country's most promising up-and-comers.

The 67-cap England international played 95 times for the Toffees across three campaigns before his precocious talents earned him a £47.5m transfer to Manchester City in 2016, where he remains, and thrives, to this day.

Having been sold by Ronald Koeman, Stones' departure left a gaping hole in the Blues' central defence, with 31-year-old veteran Ashley Williams swiftly joining as the replacement in an £11m move from Swansea City.

Williams was a solid defender who has performed well for many years for his Welsh outfit, but he did not find his feet at all with Everton and indeed languished for the club, earning £70k-per-week across two seasons but receiving criticism from journalist Ben Marlow, who said: "Thought he would be great for us but turned out to be a total liability. Awful defender."

This typified the woeful dealings of Everton owner Farhad Moshiri and co, with the money recuperated from Stones' sale not being efficiently injected back into the club, with the fans paying the price for the ineptitude to this day.

How much is John Stones worth now?

According to CIES Football Observatory, Stones is now valued at around £53m, which seems pretty appropriate for a first-class 29-year-old defender with three years left on his current deal.

This also means that Everton cashed in for a pretty decent amount, all things considered, for a player with bundles of talent but yearning for a future away from Goodison Park.

However, his incredible talents would have been perfect for an Everton side that has slid further and further into obscurity over the past few years, now teetering on the cusp of relegation from the Premier League for the very first time.

What are John Stones' best qualities?

Stones wasn't always in the limelight under Pep Guardiola's mastermind management, and actually spent more matches as an unused substitute across the 2021/22 Premier League season (13) than he did in the starting line-up (12).

Having been of a vested interest to West Ham United back in 2020, Stones has made the increments to his game and is now considered a ”world-class” player by the likes of YouTube Content Creator Steve McInerney.

Teammate Kyle Walker always knew of his prowess, saying back in 2017: "John is an unbelievable player. You don't quite appreciate him until you are playing alongside him. He rarely gets beat, he is great on the ball and he is very calm and level-headed."

Now one of the most dynamic players in the world, Stones' all-encompassing skill set has prompted Guardiola to field him in an array of roles, namely central defence, right-back and as a centre-back last term.

As per FBref, the £250k-per-week machine ranks among the top 10% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 8% for pass completion, the top 11% for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90.

This level of dynamism in his craft is a rarity indeed, a transcendent player of immense proportions, lauded as "sensational" by pundit Jamie Carragher for his display in last season's FA Cup final against Manchester United, integral in aiding the Citizens secure a historic treble.

Stones' blistering success over the past few years has now situated him among the creme-de-la-creme in the game, with some even arguing that he is "the best" defender that the Premier League has to offer.

While his £47.5m price tag seemed rather exorbitant at the time, Stones has proved his worth with his multi-functional role under Guardiola's wing and his expansive skills and supreme technical ability, very much the prodigious talent those at Everton knew he was.

Selling him was a good financial deal for the Goodison Park side, but a crucial moment in the side's slump over the years, which still persists to this day.

There are surely many of an Everton persuasion who must rue the day his departure was granted; just imagine the impact he could have had if he'd been kept at the club and developed into the world-beating phenom that he now is.

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O torcedor do Athletico terá uma noite longa pela frente. Na Arena da Baixada, a equipe acabou superada pelo Corinthians e entrou na zona de rebaixamento do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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Na saída de campo, o atacante Renato Kayzer lamentou as oportunidades desperdiçadas ao longo do confronto.

‘Incompetência, falo por chances minhas também. Na verdade quando teve a oportunidade, não conseguimos ganhar e matar o jogo. Mas agora é levantar a cabeça e pensar no próximo jogo’, declarou.

Na próxima rodada, o Athletico mede forças com o Grêmio. O Furacão é o 18º colocado, com 15 pontos.

Respected journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared some exit news out of Chelsea as another player could now leave the club along with Trevoh Chalobah.

Who has left Chelsea?

Mauricio Pochettino's tenure in charge of the west Londoners first began with major summer transfer overhaul.

Kalidou Koulibaly, N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, Christian Pulisic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi all left the club for around £230 million in total.

Meanwhile, coming to replace them, Chelsea put pen to paper on deals for Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez, Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Djordje Petrovic, Angelo and Deivid Washington – who all joined the club for around £397 million.

So far, Pochettino's men have taken some time to fully gel given the wave of departures and incomings; with Chelsea winning just one Premier League game so far this season despite their star quality.

The Blues tasted victory against newly-promoted Luton Town at Stamford Bridge, but dropped points at home to Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and away at West Ham before the international break.

Defender Ben Chilwell, speaking after his side's 1-0 defeat at home to Forest most recently, said Chelsea still have much to improve upon.

"Very frustrating result and everyone is very disappointed in the changing room right now," explained Chilwell after their recent 1-0 loss to Forest at home.

"If you look at the stats we dominated the game, had the possession, but the most important stat is the goals. We lost in that department and lost the game, that is the black and white of it and we need to improve."

What's the latest Chelsea transfer news?

It would appear that Chelsea could still strengthen certain areas of the squad, perhaps most notably in the striking position, as they are arguably lacking a world-class centre-forward option.

This has lead to their reported interest in the likes of Ivan Toney and Victor Osimhen, who are both apparent Chelsea transfer targets for 2024/

Other members of the squad could still depart, too, and Romano has some news where this is concerned.

According to his sources, midfielder Chalobah could be joined by one other player in defender Marc Cucurella out the door in January if they don't get more game time.

Writing on his daily briefing, Romano explained:

"Sources on the player [Chalobah] side feel that the player expects to leave Chelsea in January – the feeling is that something will happen for them to part ways.

"There was also something similar being reported about Marc Cucurella, but Chelsea deny players being frozen out. Again, the feeling is that both Chalobah and Cucurella are set to look for new clubs in January if they can’t play in the next months."

The latter player signed for Chelsea last summer, with ex-boss Thomas Tuchel once calling him a "young, hungry, mobile and a very intelligent player."

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has made a "huge" claim involving Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino and star summer signing James Maddison after the summer window.

Who did Tottenham sign this summer?

Maddison has emerged as one of the arguable signings of the transfer window so far, having joined goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, winger Manor Solomon, striker Alejo Veliz and Brennan Johnson in signing for the club.

Ange Postecoglou's side have made a rip-roaring start to the new Premier League campaign, having secured impressive wins against the likes of Man United, Bournemouth and Burnley.

Spurs entered the international break in style; smashing the latter side 5-2 courtesy of a Son Heung-min hat-trick, a screamer from Cristian Romero and Maddison's sumptuous curler from the edge of the area.

Maddison has earned lots of praise for his start to life in north London, with Son heaping praise on the England international already and calling him a "joy" to play with.

"When we are talking about Madders we could stay here all day,” Son said (via The Guardian).

“He’s a really good player. For a couple of years we needed this kind of player to create chances and make passes, which is very important. Playing with him is a joy. Hopefully he can score and assist many goals."

“I hope there is many more to come for him. He totally deserves it. He always plays thinking of the team and not for the individual."

It's indeed been a dream opening few games for Maddison, with reporter O'Rourke now making a very interesting summer claim on Spurs' attempts to sign him.

It is believed that arch league rivals Chelsea actually played a role in helping Spurs to sign Maddison, as Pochettini's side "cleared the path" by withdrawing from the race.

He apparently did not fit their profile of summer targets, according to O'Rourke for Football Insider, despite the quoted reveal that Pochettino is a "huge" fan of Maddison.

This allowed Tottenham to complete a deal for the 26-year-old, as their only competitors were Newcastle United. Spurs seemingly swept the Magpies aside, eventually sealing an agreement for Maddison in a big boost for Pochettino.

How good is James Maddison?

Registering a brilliant 19 goal contributions (10 goals, nine assists) in the league alone over 2022/2023, Maddison starred as Leicester City's star player.

According to WhoScored, the midfield ace also attempted more shots at goal and key passes per 90 than any other Leicester player in the top flight; highlighting exactly what he is bringing to Spurs.

Maddison has been praised as a "super talent" by former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy to talkSPORT as well.

“He’s a super talent," said Murphy.

"The only question mark over James Maddison is his application and sometimes his attitude, but his talent is up there.

"He should have played more times for England, he should be more in the reckoning.

“Is he good enough? Yes. He’s a Champions League player. He has all of the qualities needed to play Champions League and international football.”

Australia’s captain heaps praise on teenaged sensation, who became the youngest Indian half-centurion in women’s T20Is

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai26-Mar-2018Not many India players – male or female – have caught the public imagination as fervently, and as early into their international careers, as the 17-year old allrounder Jemimah Rodrigues.Through her prolific domestic returns, the 37 on T20I debut in South Africa that contributed to an Indian win, and the stunning catch at the midwicket boundary on the same tour, Rodrigues had already become quite the social media sensation. On Monday, after her maiden international half-century Rodrigues came in for praise from the Australia captain Meg Lanning.”She’s an exciting talent. She comes out and plays without fear, and we know when we’re bowling to her, we know we have to get it right or we’ll be going the journey,” Lanning said.Rodrigues’ 41-ball 50 made her the second-youngest women’s T20I half-centurion, and the youngest from her country. Rodrigues clobbered eight fours en route to the feat; the rest of the Indian line-up collectively managed only nine.Rodrigues’ fearless shot-making came in for special praise from Lanning. “India have a few of those players coming through, which is really good,” she said. “That’s just sort of the new nature of the women’s game. Those sort of players are going to thrive in the next few years.”Naturally, Rodrigues was excited when asked about the potential opportunity to play in the Women’s Big Bash League. “I would like to play,” she said with a grin. “[But] I will have to improve a lot on my fitness and batting. I have not spoken to the Australians yet, but if I get an opportunity I would love to play.”Promoted to open the batting, Rodrigues had to witness a Megan Schutt hat-trick from the other end. India were reeling at 26 for 3 chasing 187 when Rodrigues was joined by Harmanpreet Kaur.Rodrigues then took on the aggressor’s role as she repaired the Indian innings through a 54-run fourth-wicket stand with her captain. “I had to control [my game] and change gears, because we were chasing and making the most of the Powerplay,” Rodrigues said. “But then I had to change my mindset because three wickets had gone, and Harry di [Harmanpreet] told me to just build the partnership and carry it forth from there.”The stand ultimately proved inadequate as India suffered a sixth straight loss this home season that also knocked them out of the tri-series, but Rodrigues was hopeful of a turnaround before the World T20 in November.”The best part of our team is that we are together and there is no blame-game going on because of these consecutive losses,” Rodrigues said. “Each one is taking their responsibility and they are agreeing that it is because of us.”They are sad, and I believe in our team and the support staff, we have the trust they are putting in us. We are going to bounce back and we are going to come back in the coming series, and especially in the [T20] World Cup.”Before her fifty, Rodrigues was an active member in the field, snaffling catches to send back Alyssa Healy, Elyse Villani and Beth Mooney. Rodrigues’ reliability on the field comes at a time when India’s fielding lapses have consistently cost them.”I love fielding, and right from when I started cricket,” Rodrigues said. “Bjiu [George, India’s fielding coach] and Tushar [Arothe, the head coach] sir have worked a lot on our fielding, because if you look at the past two years, India has been lacking in fielding.”But this year, after every practice session, we used to have one hour of fielding, so every day take like 30-40 catches, ground fielding, that is how we have improved on our fielding. And this time, we had special camps for fielding and fitness. Everybody in BCCI is stressing more on fitness.”For a 17-year old only into her 10th international appearance, Rodrigues has already experienced the highs – the double-series wins in South Africa – and the lows – blanked 3-0 in the ODIs against Australia, and now the elimination from the tri-series.Among the youngest centrally-contracted players with the BCCI, Rodrigues, however, saw the team’s oscillating fortunes as a learning experience.”My experience [with the team] has been really good,” she said. “Playing in South Africa on their soil and doing well over there – that has boosted me and given me a lot of confidence. I can do much better, it was a learning experience for me. I understood how the team goes about, what the process is and how the South Africans play, and like, what’s their stand.”I just need to keep on learning. Even when we do well, my thing was which areas I can get better, because normally when we do well, we forget about everything and get carried away with the victory. When we lose, we realise our mistake better and we get an opportunity to learn from it.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has shared an important update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, with the Saudi Arabian and Turkish transfer windows remaining open.

Who has left Tottenham?

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has begun to reshape the team in his own image, having offloaded a bunch of surplus-to-requirements members of the squad.

Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott and Dane Scarlett all sealed moves away from Tottenham in the summer transfer window, while the most heartbreaking exit of the lot was Harry Kane's blockbuster move to Bayern Munich.

Defender Davinson Sanchez and midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, despite the British transfer window shutting, also completed moves to Turkish side Galatasaray as their window doesn't close until September 15.

Tottenham have enjoyed a successful start to the new Premier League season so far; remaining unbeaten over their opening four league matches with brilliant wins over Man United, Bournemouth and Burnley.

With Sanchez and Ndombele completing their switches abroad, some supporters could think that was their last of their business, but the future of long-serving keeper Lloris remains unresolved.

Speaking to Nice-Matin early in the window, the Frenchman admitted he was seeking a move away from north London.

"We are arriving at an important moment, whether for the club or for me," said Lloris.

"It's the end of an era. I want other things, I'm going to sit down quietly to study what will be possible. But I don't forget that I still have a year of contract with Tottenham and that in football it is always difficult to predict what will happen.

"What is essential at the moment is to recover well from my injury. I'm on vacation but I continue to maintain myself and do my workouts. My goal is to be at the top in July, then we'll see what the future has in store for me."

Sharing an update, reporter O'Rourke has wrote for Football Insider that a departure is still very much on the cards for Lloris, who is frozen out by head coach Postecoglou.

The 36-year-old could still make a move to Turkey or Saudi Arabia as their windows remain open for business, coming after Lloris' last gasp return to boyhood club Nice fell through on deadline day.

How good is Hugo Lloris?

Lloris has made 447 competitive appearances for Spurs in all competitions over the last decade (Transfermarkt), but the time is now for him to depart N17 after many faithful years.

Lloris is France's all-time most capped player, having beaten Les Bleus icon Lilian Thuram's record, with their manager Didier Deschamps once calling him an "exemplary" figure.

“Records are made to be broken," said Deschamps after Lloris equalled Thuram's record.

"It’s the longevity of two exemplary players, two great professionals who have both kept themselves at a very,very high level. These records mean something. Some are more anecdotal than others, but this one speaks for itself.”

The former Lyon star will be a brilliant capture for whichever signed manages to land him next, and it will be interesting to see where he does indeed end up.

Concussion Replacements will be available for the first time in all four professional domestic competitions in England this summer as the ECB has acceded to requests from the counties to put the safety of players ahead of initial fears that the system might be misused.The change of policy is one of several significant changes to the Playing Conditions affecting the Specsavers County Championship, Royal London One-Day Cup, Vitality Blast and Kia Super League.Dr Nick Peirce, the ECB’s chief medical officer, has overseen ECB research into concussion in cricket for several years. “This is a change made in the interests of player safety and health,” he said. “While concussion is not as common in cricket as in contact sports such as rugby, our research has shown an average of around 15-20 incidents in first and second team cricket during each of the last few seasons.”We have already mitigated against this by making helmets meeting the latest safety standards mandatory, and improving the levels of training for umpires and other officials. Now the ECB Board have approved a proposal from the Cricket Committee that we go a step further – with that proposal reflecting a very strong view from first-class counties.”The previous refusal to allow a replacement player had caused tension within the county system. Coaches, in particular, felt that by emphasising player safety and withdrawing a player they were put at an unfair disadvantage for the rest of the game. The prospect that they might condemn themselves to defeat, with all the possible knock-on effects that might bring, was an outcome that rested more easily with some counties than others.The ECB has now acted, with the safeguard that any decision whether a like-for-like replacement is permissible is left to a medical professional.Peirce said: “This season, each team, home and away, at first and second team level, will have to be supported by a medical professional who is qualified to make judgements on possible concussion following a head-strike. They will initially have a five-minute period to make an on-field assessment, and if concerns remain, that assessment will continue off the field, as previously.”At this stage, there is no Concussion Replacement – and there is no time limit on deciding whether or not the player can return to the match.”But if the medical professional feels that the player has or may have been concussed, they will notify the Cricket Liaison Officer present. It will then be down to the CLO to approve the concussed player’s team’s nomination of a replacement.”Alan Fordham, the ECB’s head of cricket operations, added: “We appreciate that the phrase ‘like for like’ leaves a need for some flexibility and interpretation. We will take into account the cricket that remains to be played and will aim to replace the resource lost by the affected side – but not so much that they are advantaged.”For example they would not gain permission for a specialist batsman to be replaced by a specialist bowler if they were bowling in the fourth innings, or for a fast bowler to be replaced by a spinner if that team were to be bowling later in the match.”The full Playing Conditions are published on the ECB website.

تعرض منتخب إنجلترا للهزيمة أمام نظيره آيسلندا، في مباراتهما الودية مساء يوم الجمعة، في البروفة الأخيرة قبل انطلاق منافسات كأس أمم أوروبا.

واستضاف ملعب “ويمبلي” مباراة المنتخبين الودية، استعدادًا لبطولة يورو 2024، حيث خسر منتخب إنجلترا بهدف دون رد. هدف فوز آيسلندا أمام إنجلترا

جاء هدف فوز منتخب آيسلندا، والمباراة الوحيد، في الدقيقة 12 من عمر الشوط الأول عن طريق اللاعب يون داغور ثورستينسون.

وشهدت المباراة تعرض لاعب منتخب إنجلترا، جون ستونز، للإصابة حيث اضطر إلى الخروج بين شوطي المباراة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وتُعد تلك المباراة هي البروفة الأخيرة بالنسبة لمنتخب إنجلترا قبل مشاركته في يورو 2024 حيث يبدأ البطولة بمواجهة صربيا يوم الأحد 16 يونيو الجاري.

Southampton splashed the cash on deadline day as they snapped up Ross Stewart from Sunderland for an initial fee of £8m, which could rise to £12m including add-ons.

Who are Southampton's most expensive striker signings?

The Saints have not been afraid to lavish out big fees in order to find a consistent number nine to bolster their attacking options over the years.

They will now be hoping that the former Black Cats star does not follow in the footsteps of a certain Guido Carrillo, who turned out to be a huge flop at St. Mary's after his move to the club under Mauricio Pellegrino.

Top five signings (excluding Carrillo)

Fee paid (via Transfermark)

Danny Ings

£21.6m

Paul Onuachu

£15.5m

Adam Armstrong

£15.2m

Manolo Gabbiadini

£14.6m

Che Adams

£14.4m

The club have had mixed success with their recruitment at the top end of the pitch over the years but the signing of Carrillo was a particularly poor piece of business, all things considered.

How much did Southampton pay for Guido Carrillo?

Southampton signed the centre-forward from French side AS Monaco for a club-record £19m fee in January of 2018 in an attempt to find a reliable scorer.

The striker had worked with Pellegrino, who was the manager at the time, at Argentine club Estudiantes and the club decided to back their head coach by securing a record deal for Carrillo, with vice-chairman Les Reed stating that he was confident that the player would benefit the Saints for "years" to come.

It was reported that the Argentine boss made a number nine signing a priority after £75m was raked in from Liverpool for central defender Virgil van Dijk, which provided him with the funds to splash out on a big addition.

However, it was a strange move for Southampton to make as Carrillo was 26 and had yet to prove himself to be a consistent or reliable goalscorer.

Football Transfers rated his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €13.1m (£11.2m) at the time of the move, which suggests that they paid far above the going rate to secure his services.

The £19m signing arrived off the back of just 15 goals and four assists in 65 Ligue 1 matches for Monaco. He had joined the French side after scoring 40 goals in 140 appearances for Estudiantes in his home country.

During the first half of the 2017/18 campaign, the 6 foot 2 forward scored only four goals and created zero 'big chances' for his teammates in 15 league outings for Monaco.

That came after the towering striker plundered seven goals and one assist in 19 Ligue 1 matches for his former club throughout the 2016/17 season.

These statistics show that Southampton signed a relatively experienced player who had yet to find his scoring boots on a regular basis at senior level.

They were gambling on him finally developing into a consistent scorer whilst being able to adapt to English and Premier League football. That turned out to be an expensive gamble that did not work out.

How many goals did Carrillo score for Southampton?

The Argentine ended up playing just ten matches in all competitions for the Saints and did not find the back of the net on a single occasion.

Pellegrino handed him seven Premier League appearances during the second half of the 2017/18 campaign, which included five starts, but he was unable to hit the ground running at St. Mary's with zero goals and zero 'big chances' created.

Carrillo only completed 66% of his attempted passes and lost 63% of his duels throughout those top-flight matches for the club, as per Sofascore, an indication that he struggled with the quality and physicality of the division.

The former Monaco marksman did not provide a goal threat, did not create for his teammates, was not a reliable passing option through the middle of the pitch, and was dominated by opposition players from a physical perspective.

Pellegrino was sacked in March 2018 and his replacement, Mark Hughes, opted to send Carrillo out on loan to LaLiga outfit Leganes for the 2018/19 campaign.

The Argentine finisher spent two seasons on loan with the Spanish outfit and contributed with ten goals and two assists in 60 appearances for the club.

How did Carrillo leave Southampton?

Southampton eventually decided to cut ties with the £19m flop as they released him on a free transfer in the summer of 2020, two-and-a-half-years after his club-record move to the club from Monaco.

Journalist Josh Bunting described it as a "disappointing" situation for the Saints as they received £0 back off their initial £19m investment on the striker.

It was a howler of a move by Reed and Pellegrino in 2018 as they gambled on a player who had shown few signs of being ready to take the Premier League by storm after his struggles in France.

The warning signs were there and it turned out that they should have been heeded as Carrillo went on to flop in England and left for nothing after failing to score a single goal for the club.

Where is Carrillo now?

He is currently back playing for Estudiantes in Argentina at the age of 32 and has scored five goals in 27 games since making the move earlier this year.

Football Transfers currently rates his xTV at just €1.5m (£1.3m), a whopping £17.7m less than the fee that Southampton paid to secure his signature at the start of 2018.

He has not proven his worth since departing the Saints on a free transfer which only goes to emphasise the disaster that played out regarding Carrillo during his time in England.

Reed seemingly trusted Pellegrino's opinion on the centre-forward, as he had already worked with the ex-Monaco man in Argentina, and was willing to spend a huge sum of money off the back of his thoughts, despite the statistics not backing it up.

It ended up being a costly howler and Russell Martin will be hoping that Stewart does not go down the same route over the years to come.

Celtic are now keen on signing an "amazing" defender in the January transfer window, but they will have to do battle with a number of Europe's top clubs, a report has revealed.

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

Under the helm of Ange Postecoglou, Celtic had cast their eyes on more niche countries to scout first-team players, and they are clearly continuing to do so now Brendan Rodgers is back in charge, with Serbian youngster Nemanja Jovic now being targeted.

Jovic would be available to sign on a free transfer, having been without a club since leaving Partizan Belgrade in the summer, but there are a whole host of European clubs vying for his signature, including Rayo Vallecano and FC Basel.

The Hoops may also have to brace for interest in one of their first-team players this winter, with Tottenham Hotspur now being credited with an interest in Daizen Maeda, who could be set to reunite with Postecoglou in north London.

In terms of potential new additions to the squad, it has been relatively quiet since the end of the summer transfer window, but the Scottish Premiership champions have now been named as potential suitors for Boca Juniors' Valentin Barco.

According to a report from 90min, Celtic are one of a whole host of European clubs keen on signing Barco, having conducted a scouting mission to check on him in recent weeks, but a Premier League team is leading the race for his signature.

Brighton & Hove Albion, who have a stellar record when it comes to finding and developing South American talent, are currently in pole position for the 19-year-old, while Manchester City are also chasing him, so it may be very tricky for the Hoops to tempt him into a move.

There is also an indication the youngster could be willing to sign a new contract with Boca Juniors, as the Argentinian club are now "hopeful" he will commit to fresh terms, in order to ward off interest from a number of clubs across Europe.

How good is Valentin Barco?

The Boca Juniors starlet has received very high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who lauded him as "amazing" just over two years ago, and he has since gone on to claim he is already among the very best players in his position, saying: "Valentín Barco is going straight to the top. One of the most talented left-backs in world football."

Having made 22 appearances for Boca Juniors, the Argentina U20 international has already established himself in the first team, and he has weighed in with one goal and one assist in six Copa Libertadores outings in 2023.

The defender has displayed his versatility by moving up to left-wing in eight of his 22 professional appearances, indicating he is a threat on the front foot, as well as being capable defensively, making him a perfect modern-day left back.

All the evidence suggests Barco could be a fantastic signing for Celtic, but it will be very difficult to win the race for his signature, given that a number of other top clubs are also keen.