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With young striker Daniel Cummings currently heading for the exit door as a free agent, Celtic have reportedly turned their attention towards signing another rising star who has already impressed their chief scout.

Celtic transfer news

How busy the Bhoys are this summer remains to be seen. After all, they once again sit a class above the rest of the Scottish Premiership and came closer than they have done for a long time to reaching the Champions League last 16, having pushed Bayern Munich all the way. So, in truth, Brendan Rodgers may find himself in a position of luxury when the transfer window swings open.

Instead, the former Leicester City manager may have to keep an eye on the exit door amid rumours surrounding the likes of Nicolas Kuhn and Cummings’ likely exit. The interest in both players should come as no surprise either. Kuhn has stolen the show at times this season, scoring 18 goals and assisting another 13 to emerge onto the radar of Tottenham Hotspur and others.

Cummings, meanwhile, is set to be out of contract this summer after failing to put pen to paper on a fresh deal amid a lack of first-team opportunities. With 23 goals in 22 Lowland League games at youth level this season, it’s fair to say that the Scottish champions will be losing a prospect they must replace.

It’s something that they seem to be well aware of too. According to The Daily Record, Celtic are now eyeing a summer deal to sign Owen Stirton from Dundee United this summer following his impressive loan spell at Scottish League One side Montrose.

Not just Maeda: Celtic have hit the jackpot on star who's outscoring Kyogo

Celtic have struck gold with the star who has outscored Kyogo Furuhashi so far this season.

ByDan Emery Mar 11, 2025

It’s there that the 18-year-old striker has impressed Celtic’s chief scout, Tosh McKinlay, who watched him in action as Montrose drew 0-0 against Kelty Hearts in a rare day without a goal for the teenager with six in seven league games this season.

"Talented" Stirton would ease Cummings blow

After enjoying an excellent spell out on loan, Stirton is set to return ready for bigger and better things. Whether that’s with Dundee or, indeed, with Celtic seems to be the big question. There’s no doubt that the teenager has shown the potential to step up to the Scottish champions in years to come, but the Bhoys could make their move far sooner than that before reaping the rewards.

Dubbed “strong” by The Courier’s Dundee United reporter Alan Temple last year, the decision will be the biggest of Stirton’s career so far. Whilst he may look towards Cummings’ situation as one to take advantage of, however, the young forward must ensure that he avoids following the same path as the Celtic prospect who has struggled for senior minutes.

Having already impressed at senior level, Stirton has earned the chance to avoid a return to youth football which may well come with a summer switch to Celtic Park. As attractive as a move to the Scottish champions may be, the young Dundee forward certainly has a lot to consider if they come calling.

England opener returns to form in style after lean run in 2022

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2023Jason Roy put what he described as a “horrible year” behind him with a career-saving century in Bloemfontein on Friday, and admitted afterwards that the angry emotions that he unleashed upon reaching three figures had been “locked away in a cupboard” throughout his run of lean form.Roy’s 79-ball century was his 11th in ODIs but his first against a Full Member nation since the 2019 World Cup, and though it was not enough to secure victory for England in the opening match of their tour of South Africa, it may well have transformed his prospects of helping to defend their 50-over title in India later this year.He struck 11 fours and four sixes all told, as he passed fifty in an England shirt for the first time in 15 innings, dating back to the tour of the Netherlands in June 2022. With the teams back in action on Sunday for the second ODI, also at Bloemfontein, Roy admitted that his personal satisfaction, for once, far outweighed the frustration of defeat.”I’m feeling very good,” he said on the morning after the match. “I actually didn’t sleep that well – I had about five hours sleep. I was a bit overcome with a few emotions and stuff like that, it’s been a turbulent few months. I woke up really well, though, it was the best five hours’ sleep I’ve had.”Yeah, it was a little bit of anger around it all, just because I set everything to the back of my mind and locked a few things away in a cupboard and went out and played the way I have played throughout my career and which I haven’t played in the last couple [of years]. I was frustrated I hadn’t got to that mindset earlier but it was a very nice feeling.”Unlike their build-up to the 2019 World Cup, England have limited opportunities to fine-tune their squad for India. The forthcoming tour of Bangladesh offers their last chance for 50-over practice until September, when New Zealand and Ireland visit for three ODIs each.Roy, however, doesn’t consider his return to form against South Africa to be any guarantee of selection for the World Cup.”No, not at all, absolutely not, I don’t see it that way,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of games in my career, been around for a while now and even after a bad year you can get forgotten quite quickly. It’s a case of keeping pushing, keeping this environment going in this culture we have in the team because it’s a huge year ahead for us in 50-over cricket.”Hopefully [I will play the World Cup] but it’s one step at a time. It’s one game into a series, one game into the year in international cricket, so I’ve got to keep scoring runs and just building this team to the place where we were at back in 2019.”It’s been a horrible year – it’s not how you start the year, it’s how you finish it. I think I started last year pretty nicely and then things went downhill from there. I’ve just got to stay positive and keep pushing.”Roy had given little indication of a return to form during his stint in the SA20 this month, having managed a top-score of 33 in eight appearances for Paarl Royals. However, with his England captain Jos Buttler alongside him at the franchise, Roy said that the support of his team-mate had been crucial in keeping a level head.”I’ve got a great relationship with Jos on and off the field, we speak very honestly with each other and spending the last couple of weeks with each other at the SA20 league has helped,” he said. “I had a lot of thoughts and opinions and how I felt my last year had gone, and those conversations were great and it allowed me to free myself up for this innings I just played.”

Former Ballon d'Or winner Lothar Matthaus has urged Bayern Munich to sign AC Milan star Rafael Leao as they search for more attacking talent.

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Matthaus urges Bayern to sign LeaoPortuguese can play on left wing or up frontWould allow Kompany more chance to rest & rotateFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Former Bayern star Lothar Matthaus would welcome the signing of AC Milan forward Rafael Leao. The legendary World Cup winner cited the Portuguese attacker's versatility as his main strength and believes he could be used as a back-up for No.1 striker Harry Kane, as well as in a left-wing role.

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Kane lifted his first major trophy of his career when Bayern won their 34th Bundesliga title in the 2024-25 season. The Bavarians are looking to strengthen their attacking options, and the 1990 World Cup-winning captain believes Rafael Leao could be the perfect addition. The winger scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists for Milan, but it was not enough as the Rossoneri, who finished in eighth place and missed out on European competition altogether. This could mean Bayern are able to acquire the player for well below his €150 million release clause, as a crisis looms at for the Serie A giants.

WHAT MATTHAUS SAID

Matthaus said: "I believe FC Bayern needs a breath of fresh air in the left-wing position." He then endorsed Leao and his versatility, highlighting his importance by adding: "The Portuguese international mostly played on the left wing for Milan, but he can also play as a centre forward, which would be important, as Bayern needs a back-up for Kane when he needs a break."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN AND LEAO ?

Bayern are set to take on Auckland City FC at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place in the United States. With Milan's season ending in a 2-0 win over Monza on May 24, Leao could use the break to contemplate his future, with Milan's new sporting director Igli Tare likely to have a busy summer ahead as players look to move on.

The series will be played in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi from April 14 to May 7

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2023Shaheen Shah Afridi is set to return to international cricket after four months, having been named in Pakistan’s T20I and ODI squads for the home series against New Zealand. Captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who were rested for the T20Is against Afghanistan, are also back in the side for the series which will be played in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi from April 14 to May 7.Shaheen had sustained a knee injury during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July last year and subsequently missed five Tests and three ODIs against England and New Zealand to complete his rehab after the men’s T20 World Cup. He last played for Pakistan in the final of the T20 World Cup, bowling just 2.1 overs and taking a wicket before he left the field in the 16th over having hurt his knee. He returned to competitive cricket in February, taking part in the PSL where he captained Lahore Qalandars to the title.Azam Khan, Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Wasim Junior have been dropped from the T20I squad, while Ihsanullah has been rewarded with a maiden ODI call. Haris Sohail, who earned a surprise recall to the national side during the ODI series against New Zealand earlier this year in Karachi, has been retained for the upcoming series. Abdullah Shafique has also been named in the ODI squad, while Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain and Shahnawaz Dahani have been dropped.The tour includes games tacked on to compensate for New Zealand pulling out of their 2021 tour of Pakistan. New Zealand had aborted the tour minutes before the start of the first ODI of the tour, citing a “specific and credible” security threat.The Pakistan squad will assemble in Lahore on April 6 for a training camp ahead of the series.Pakistan T20I squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman KhanPakistan ODI squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir. Reserves: Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed and Tayyab Tahir

Celtic went into the international break with a bitter taste in their mouth off the back of a 3-2 defeat to their city rivals at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

The Hoops were beaten 3-2 by Rangers in front of their home fans, despite coming from 2-0 down to draw the game level at 2-2 with a home crowd spurring them on for a winner.

There were several players who underperformed on the day. Right-back Alistair Johnston, who lost possession 26 times and missed a ‘big chance’ to make it 3-3 at the death, was one of those.

However, the Canada international can be excused for one or two bad days at the office because he has been a terrific performer on the whole this season.

Alistair Johnston's form for Celtic

The 26-year-old right-back has started 25 of his 26 appearances in the Scottish Premiership so far this term, which shows that Brendan Rodgers has relied upon him as the first-choice in that position.

In those 26 matches, Johnston has bombed up and down the right flank to provide four goals and seven assists, with 13 ‘big chances’ created in total, for his side.

The Celtic number two has also made 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game and won 56% of his duels in the division, which shows that the full-back can hold his own in physical battles out of possession to go along with his excellent attacking play.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Despite his impressive displays for the Hoops, there is a former Celtic right-back who is now even better than Johnston and worth millions more – Jeremie Frimpong.

Jeremie Frimpong's soaring market value

The Dutch defender, who produced three goals and seven assists in 51 matches for the Hoops, was sold to Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee of €11m (£9m) at the start of 2021.

Since then, Frimpong has racked up 29 goals and 40 assists in 182 games for the German giants, who won the Bundesliga last season, and that includes a haul of 14 goals and ten assists in the 2023/24 campaign.

Meanwhile, Johnston only has six goals and 18 assists in 103 games for Celtic from right-back, which suggests that the Leverkusen star – who is playing in one of Europe’s major leagues – would be an upgrade on the current Hoops star.

This is because the former Manchester City man could offer far more at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator down the right flank, given his impressive output in Germany – particularly last term.

October 2021

£12m

December 2021

£16.5m

September 2022

£21m

March 2023

£29m

June 2023

£33m

October 2023

£37m

December 2023-present

£41m

As you can see in the table above, Frimpong’s value has soared as a result of his excellent performances for Leverkusen, as it has shot all the way up to roughly £41m – from the £9m that Celtic sold him for.

Johnston, on the other hand, is currently valued at roughly £8m and this means that the Dutchman, who was described as a “cheat code” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is worth a staggering £33m more than Johnston, who is worth £1m less than what the Scottish giants sold Frimpong for.

Therefore, Celtic may regret that they only managed to rake in £9m for the Netherlands international back in 2021, given what he has gone on to achieve in Germany.

£3.5m flop may never play for Celtic again after Yang's emergence

Hyun-jun Yang’s performances for Celtic may have ended this player’s career at Parkhead.

ByDan Emery Mar 19, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur do not have the best of reputations when it comes to buying players in the transfer window.

In fact, the fans have often decried the ownership for not backing their managers enough, which is entirely understandable considering Mauricio Pochettino was unable to sign a single player for 517 days.

However, for all the North Londoners’ historical lack of big spending in windows, they have always been strong sellers.

Daniel Levy has made a name for himself for being one of the toughest negotiators in the game, which has led to some pretty sizable sales in the past, including one player who was moved on for 750% more than he cost.

Ranking Spurs' best-ever sales

So before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of Spurs’ other impressive sales, starting with England international Kyle Walker.

The incredibly experienced full-back joined the North Londoners from Sheffield United for around £5m in 2009 and, after a few loan spells, became a mainstay in the first team during the 2011/12 season.

The 34-year-old went on to make 229 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring four goals and providing 18 assists before Manchester City signed him for a fee of £50m, which was not only a tidy £45m profit for Tottenham but also a record for a defender at the time.

From defence to attacker now and the club’s record sale: Harry Kane.

The England captain famously came up through the club’s academy after being released by North London rivals Arsenal, and after several loan moves himself, he ended up making 435 first-team appearances, in which he scored a staggering 280 goals and provided 61 assists.

Appearances

435

Starts

385

Minutes

34827′

Goals

280

Assists

61

Goal Involvements per Match

0.78

Minutes per Goal Involvement

102.13′

Points per Game

1.83

That means the Walthamstow-born monster averaged a goal involvement every 1.27 games during his time in the capital, which helped to justify the eye-watering £86.4m fee he cost Bayern Munich in 2023.

However, while Kane’s sale was a good bit of business from Levy and Co, a sale made a decade prior was even more impressive.

Gareth Bale: Spurs' best-ever sale

So, with Kane and Walker’s massive sales already covered, it should come as no surprise that the sale we reckon is Spurs’ best is that of Gareth Bale.

The Welsh superstar was signed for around £10m, including add-ons, in May 2007 and then sold for a then-world-record fee of £85m in the summer of 2013, meaning Tottenham sold the incredible winger for an astronomical 750% increase on their initial investment.

Moreover, while that would still be an impressive fee to receive for a player today, the fact Levy managed to get it over a decade ago is truly remarkable.

That said, the Cardiff-born monster proved to be value for money during his title-laden stay in the Spanish capital, and considering how well he was playing prior to the transfer, it was an entirely justifiable fee.

For example, even though the “once in a lifetime” star, as Wales manager Craig Bellamy described him, struggled with injuries and poor form early on in his Spurs career, a change in position from full-back to winger under Harry Redknapp set him on his way to becoming a world-class superstar.

During his first stint in North London, the incredible dynamo racked up a tally of 55 goals and 50 assists in 203 appearances, but it was in his final season before moving to Madrid that he truly reached a world-class standard.

Across 44 appearances in the 12/13 season, totalling 3891 minutes, the Welsh icon scored 26 goals and provided ten assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.22 games, or every 108.08 minutes.

Appearances

44

Starts

44

Minutes

3891′

Goals

26

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.81

Minutes per Goal Involvement

108.08′

Points per Game

1.86

Ultimately, Tottenham have made some impressive sales over the years, but considering the price they paid and the period in which they sold him, Bale’s sale remains the best in Spurs’ history.

Their new Archie Gray: Spurs submit bid to sign "wonderful" English star

The promising talent could be just what Spurs are after.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 24, 2025

Tottenham players have been left fuming by the club's decision to sack Ange Postecoglou and his successor may face a player revolt, per a new report.

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Spurs sacked Postecoglou on FridayNow searching for replacementPlayers upset by decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per the h, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has angered a number of players with his decision to sack Postecoglou on the back of their Europa League triumph. While the club did finish 17th in the Premier League, several players, including Pedro Porro, were vocal in their hope that the Australian would stay, and some are now said to be considering their futures.

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Defender Cristian Romero, who has been linked with Atletico Madrid, was close to Postecoglou, while the report also claims that Son Heung-min could leave this summer after lifting the club's first trophy for 17 years. Spurs are said to be considering a move to appoint Brentford boss Thomas Frank but Postecoglou's successor is expected to inherit a "difficult situation".

DID YOU KNOW?

Several players are said to be unhappy with how Postecoglou's future has been handled, as he was forced to wait over two weeks to learn his fate after glory in Bilbao. Now, Levy faces significant pressure to swiftly appoint his successor, as Spurs also look to strengthen in the transfer market ahead of a return to the Champions League.

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Spurs' first scheduled pre-season friendly comes against Arsenal on July 31. It is unclear if Postecoglou's replacement will be in post by then.

England batters re-write Lord’s record books to set up third-day victory push

Valkerie Baynes02-Jun-20231:36

Why England didn’t bat longer vs. Ireland

It had to be six. In England’s new Test era, his double-century just one run away it was only fitting that Ollie Pope passed the milestone with a skip and a heave to dispatch Andy McBrine all the way down the ground. This was Bazball, only it wasn’t – because it didn’t need to be.So as Pope and Ben Duckett etched their names among records and onto the Lord’s honours board, the only takeaways from England’s mismatch with Ireland were ruminations over what will happen against Australia in exactly a fortnight’s time – and a bit of gold leaf.In fairness, there were also a maiden Test wicket – plus two more – for debutant seamer Josh Tongue, forced to wait until Ireland’s second innings after 13 impressive but fruitless overs in the first, as well as a trip to the medical room for opener James McCollum, who twisted his right ankle horribly swivelling on an abandoned pull shot in Tongue’s second over of the day to deepen Ireland’s considerable woes.Related

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Tongue replaced Stuart Broad – as he did in Ireland’s first innings where Broad claimed a five-wicket haul – in the seventh over and struck with his first and sixth deliveries, trapping PJ Moor lbw with one that kept low and drew an outside edge as Andy Balbirnie played away from his body only to find Jonny Bairstow’s gloves. An England review secured his third when Ultra-Edge revealed the ball had brushed Paul Stirling’s glove as he attempted a pull and Bairstow collected behind the stumps again so that at the close Ireland still trailed by 255 runs.Ben Stokes declared with a lead of 352 when Pope fell, immediately after bringing up his 200 off 207 balls, again shimmying out of his crease as McBrine tossed the ball up outside off stump and Lorcan Tucker whipped off the bails.Having reached his half-century – and 11,000 Test runs – just before tea, Joe Root fell just three balls into the evening session, bowled by McBrine as he came down the pitch to one that turned between bat and pad and into the stumps.Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope cashed in on the second day•PA Photos/Getty ImagesIt was Duckett who set the tone though, sharing a 252-run stand for the second wicket with Pope after the pair resumed on 60 and 29 respectively and with England 20 runs in arrears overnight. Duckett scored 101 in the morning session as he and Pope added 173 runs from 29 overs.But this wasn’t the muscular, chest-thumping, roaring aggression we have become accustomed to in the year since Stokes assumed the captaincy and Brendon McCullum became head coach. Only occasionally did Duckett and Pope look like they were trying to make things happen. Mostly they cashed in on some loose Ireland bowling as the gulf between the sides was laid bare.Pope saw Duckett’s 182 and raised it. He survived an Ireland review for lbw on 76 when debutant Fionn Hand struck him just above the knee roll with one that came back sharply as ball-tracking showed it was going just over the top of middle stump. Having lunched on 97 not out, Pope comfortably navigated the six balls he faced across two overs after the interval to bring up his ton by advancing and whipping McBrine past mid-on for a single.Duckett helped himself to 14 off three deliveries in McBrine’s next over, including a slog-sweep for six, and it took the replacement of a misshapen ball for Ireland to remove him, trying to cut Graham Hume’s delivery which pitched on a length and angled in to find a thick outside edge and ricochet onto off stump.Fastest Test 150s at Lord’s•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe replacement ball kept Pope and Joe Root on their toes for a time as the Ireland bowlers found more movement. But the England duo settled into a 50-run stand off 49 balls with Root, who faced 15 balls for his first five runs, contributing 16 off 23. From there they found their stride with Pope and Root each peeling a six off McBrine, Pope down the ground and Root wide over mid-on.The first of back-to-back fours off Curtis Campher took Pope past the 150-mark in 166 balls, equalling the previous record for the fastest 150 in Tests at Lord’s held by Sir Donald Bradman and which Duckett had smashed by reaching the milestone at a-run-a-ball in the morning session.Pope also equalled Duckett’s earlier feat of adding 100 runs in a session shortly before tea, but there was still time for Root to bring up his half-century and take England past the 500-mark with a pulled four off Campher. Next ball, a leg-side single left Root unbeaten on 52 at tea.By the time Root fell, he had added 146 runs with Pope and, as England maintained a staggering run-rate of 6.34, it was done with an air that was more clinical than brutal. There is no doubt whatsoever that the hosts will be preparing to unleash the beast once more when the Ashes begin.

CSK captain is looking at a period of extensive rehab as he tries to see if he has one more IPL in him

PTI01-Jun-2023MS Dhoni underwent surgery on his left knee in a Mumbai hospital on Thursday.Dhoni, who led Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title, had flown to Mumbai from Ahmedabad after the final on Monday and consulted renowned sports orthopaedic surgeon Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, who is also on the BCCI medical panel and has performed surgeries on a number of top Indian cricketers, including Rishabh Pant.”Yes, Dhoni has had a successful knee surgery at the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai on Thursday,” CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan was quoted as saying by . “He is doing fine and the surgery happened in the morning. I don’t have details. I am yet to get all the details about the nature of surgery and other things.”Related

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The trinity that wrote CSK's script for their fifth IPL title

According to PTI, Dhoni has already been discharged from the hospital after a keyhole surgery was performed for “arthroscopic repair”.”He has already been discharged from hospital and he has gone back to Ranchi,” a CSK source was quoted as saying. “He would be resting for a few days at home before his extensive rehabilitation starts. It is now expected that he would have enough time to get fit to play in the next IPL.”Dhoni had played the entire IPL season with a heavily strapped left knee and although he looked absolutely okay while keeping, more often than not he batted as late as No. 8 and didn’t look swift while running between the wickets. After leading the side to their fifth IPL title, though, Dhoni had said he would return for “at least” one more season for the fans, if his body allowed it.”If you circumstantially see, it’s the best time to announce retirement.” Dhoni had said. “The easy thing for me to say is thank you and retire. But the hard thing to do is to work hard for nine months and try to play one more IPL season. The body has to hold up. But the amount of love I have received from CSK fans, it would be a gift for them to play one more season.”The way they’ve shown their love and emotion, it’s something I need to do for them. It’s the last part of my career. It started over here and full house was chanting my name. It was same thing in Chennai, but it will be good to come back and play whatever I can. The kind of cricket I play, they feel they can play that cricket. There’s nothing orthodox about it and I like to keep it simple.”On Wednesday, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan had said that it was “completely Dhoni’s call” when asked if the captain will decide against playing next season and thus free up a purse of INR 12 crore for the mini-auction.”Frankly, we are not even thinking along those lines as we haven’t reached that stage,” Viswanathan had said. “It will be completely Dhoni’s call. But I can tell you, in CSK, we haven’t entertained those thoughts.”

Rayan Ait-Nouri has dropped a huge transfer hint as Manchester City eye a summer move for the Wolves left-back.

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Ait-Nouri targeted by CityReveals admiration for Pep GuardiolaSummer move 'expected to happen'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per BBC Sport, City are interested in signing Ait-Nouri from Wolves this summer, and there is an expectation that the deal will eventually happen. The club have operated mostly with stopgaps at left-back – particularly Josko Gvardiol, who is naturally a centre-back – and Pep Guardiola is keen to secure a specialist in the position this summer.

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Now, Ait-Nouri has seemingly dropped a huge hint over his future preferences. Ait-Nouri recorded 11 goal involvements this season, more than any other defender, and is currently on international duty with Algeria. Upon his arrival with the squad, reporters asked him about his future, and he could not hide his admiration for the man in the Etihad Stadium dugout.

WHAT RAYAN AIT-NOURI SAID

Ait-Nouri told TSA Algerie, via Sport Witness: “I’m focusing on the national team. We’ll see. The most important thing is the two games we’re going to play with the national team.

“Everyone knows that Pep Guardiola is a great coach.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

City play in the Club World Cup in June, with their first fixture coming against Wydad AC on June 18. The club hope to sign Ait-Nouri before the competition kicks off.