'It didn't work out' - Vente leaves Hibs for 'significant fee'
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BBC News
7 minutes ago
- BBC News
Rodgers sees Celtic 'doing more' in market
Celtic do not need "a major overhaul", says Brendan Rodgers, but the manager expects to see the Scottish champions "doing more" in the transfer has recruited goalkeeper Ross Doohan, forwards Benjamin Nygren and Callum Osmand, plus defender Kieran Tierney, while left-back Greg Taylor has joined PAOK."We're not needing a major overhaul of the squad, but freshness is so important," Rodgers told club media."Some of these guys have been here a long time. It's so important, even in a winning squad, that you refresh that and reset the competition in the squad. We've done some really good business up until now." However, he stressed: "I see us doing more to get us set up for hopefully what will be a really exciting season."Tierney departed Celtic for Arsenal in a £25m transfer six years ago and the Scotland international has returned Glasgow as a free agent."Sometimes top players like that might come back later on in their career, but we're getting Kieran at 27 years of age," Rodgers said."I was with him during the summer, so I know first hand as well how excited he is to be here and I'm looking forward to seeing this new version of Kieran, having had the experience in the Premier League and playing at a top club like Arsenal."He'll come back here with greater maturity both as a person, as a professional and tactically and now we can really get the benefits of that."Of Sweden cap Nygren, Rodgers added: "He's a leader on the pitch and he produces on the pitch in terms of his goals he scores, what he creates and he's got real good physicality."I'm really looking forward to seeing him adapt to how we play."
Telegraph
13 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Inside Everton's mass exodus as new owners look to clean up Moshiri's mess
When Everton's outgoing director of football, Kevin Thelwell, left at the end of last season, one wonders if he was tempted to leave behind a pithy note for the revamped executive team. 'Sorry there are no players left. Best of luck xx' David Moyes' squad return to training this Friday and the coach might struggle to organise an internal match, the Finch Farm dressing room doubling up as a departure lounge. In all, 15 players were out of contract on July 1. Exciting South American Carlos Alcaraz was signed on a permanent deal and veteran club captain Seamus Coleman was retained. Both Idrissa Gana Gueye and Michael Keane are understood to be close to agreeing new contracts, too. There is also a possibility Jack Harrison will return after successive loan spells. The rest constitute an exodus. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Ashley Young, Jesper Lindstrom, Armando Broja, Orel Mangala and back-up goalkeepers Asmir Begovic and Joao Virginia moved on. Individually, none are irreplaceable. Indeed, departures such as the already exiled striker Neal Maupay prompted sighs of relief more than anxiety. But as a collective, Moyes has a chasm to fill to ensure his squad is competitive. This is the remaining debris of Farhad Moshiri's legacy in need of cleaning up. The former owner recently broke his silence to assume credit for the £750 million Hill Dickinson Stadium which represents Everton's future. He can accept due applause for that. It should not disguise the challenge the new owners Friedkin Group (TFG) face ensuring a squad of 18 first team players will be available to play in the first Premier League home game against Brighton and Hove Albion on Aug 23. The contract situation is the consequence of years of scratching around trying to cobble a squad together, Everton maximising loan deals while paying the price for the profit and sustainability breaches of the more reckless Moshiri spending era. The problems were being pushed along the road for a later date, and now the calendar is eating up the days as the club endeavours to find enough players. 'I'm going to keep you busy this summer' The start of July was always going to bring more clarity, particularly with those who were pondering their future having been offered reduced terms - most notably Calvert-Lewin. His departure, alongside Broja's return to Chelsea, means Everton need two strikers. They also want a full back, central midfielders, wingers and at least one back-up goalkeeper. 'I'm going to keep you busy this summer,' Moyes said in the final press conference of the season, forewarning of transfer activity. Tellingly, he said this with a smile and spring in his step. Despite the work ahead, no-one at Everton is fretting yet, seeing this summer as an opportunity rather than a personnel nightmare. Internally and among the fanbase, the club has not felt so upbeat for years, the expectation being short-term difficulties will precede the longer-term stability and eventual success which eluded Moshiri. Everton are starting again under a new regime, the refresh which began with Moyes' return midway through last season gathering pace with what was described as a series of 'leadership appointments' overseen by new chief executive Angus Kinnear. Thankfully, TFG's takeover ensured Kinnear did not join a sinking ship. He still has to navigate the choppiest of waters before reaching dry land, but the strategic changes are a notable direction shift. Rather than find a like-for-like replacement for Thelwell (who has since joined Rangers), Everton have created a football unit, headhunting Technical director Nick Cox from Manchester United's academy, and Director of Scouting and Recruitment James Smith from the City Group. Chris Howarth was also appointed to direct the club's football strategy and analytics operations, while Nick Hammond is leading the club's player trading activity. For however long they are at Everton, they will never have a busier, more complicated period than their early months. Moyes had already tentatively begun working on targets towards the end of last season. Critically, there is a transfer budget available as the previous regime's PSR woes were dealt with. But Moyes and the recruiters must weigh up the merits of spending big on a couple of game-changers or spreading out the resources on those who will add to the numbers, but not necessarily transform the club's ambitions beyond Premier League preservation. Moyes is inclined to think bigger, eager to buy proven talent at a price before exploring the loan and bargain market again to swell the numbers. But as he discovered when missing out on Liam Delap to Chelsea, securing coveted targets is nigh on impossible when Champions League clubs are rivals for the signature. Even a move for Fulham's Kenny Tete was frustrated as he chose to stay in London. The core of the team which was unrecognisable in form and resilience to that which stumbled into another relegation fight under Sean Dyche remains intact; Jordan Pickford, James Tarkowski, Iliman Ndiaye, James Garner, Jake O'Brien and Dwight McNeil are the foundation of a competitive line-up. And then there is the first truly symbolic move of the summer as Jarrad Branthwaite signed a new five year contract on Wednesday morning, Everton in a stronger position to resist moves for prime assets. 'We believe he can have a huge role to play in an exciting new era at the football club,' said Moyes. Keeping Branthwaite was a necessary and reassuring statement of intent. More will be needed over the next six weeks. The 2024/25 campaign was the season of goodbye at Everton; to coaches, players, executives, owners and even the beloved stadium. Now they need this to be the summer of hello.
The National
35 minutes ago
- The National
Gustaf Lagerbielke 'set' for Celtic exit as medical planned
The Swede spent last season on loan at FC Twente in the Eredivisie, making 32 appearances across all competitions. Lagerbielke isn't in Brendan Rodgers' long-term plans, and according to Sportbladet, he is set to join Braga, with the Portuguese top-flight side and Celtic close to an agreement. The 25-year-old is expected to undergo a medical later this week. Read more: Lagerbielke joined Celtic two years ago from Elfsborg in his homeland. He played just 10 times in his first 12 months at Parkhead before being sent out on loan. He now looks set to depart permanently. The defender will follow Greg Taylor out the departure door. His move to PAOK was confirmed on Tuesday, and he has since explained the reasons behind his switch: "It's obviously a new chapter for me and my family, but I'm very excited to be here now," Taylor told his new club's official media channel. "The love I was shown from the club, many of the directors, the manager, they showed that they believed in me and were very excited for me to come to the project with such a historical season, the 100 years of the club. "It made me really want to take the jump to be here. We want to be the best team in Greece, we want to win the league and hopefully be successful in Europe. That would be our aim for this season."
