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The summer transfer window is almost officially open for business and Celtic could be set for a busy few months of incoming and outgoing business.

Whilst supporters may want to focus on who the Hoops will be bringing in to Parkhead, amid reported interest in the likes of Adam Idah and Stuart Armstrong, there will also be players who move on from the club.

One player who could depart from Paradise on a permanent basis this summer is winger Mikey Johnston after his fruitful loan spell with West Bromwich Albion during the second half of last season.

However, Celtic must be wary of repeating the mistake they made with Ryan Christie, who they sold to a Championship team before watching him flourish and develop further in England.

Celtic name their price for Mikey Johnston

According to Football Insider, the Hoops are looking for a fee within the region of £6m in order to allow the Ireland international to leave this summer.

The report claims that West Brom are exploring a deal to bring him back to the Hawthorns, whether that is on loan or on a permanent transfer, before the end of the window.

It states that the Baggies are set to sell some of their current first-team players in order to raise funds, which means that the Bhoys could have to wait for that to take place before the English side decide to come in with an offer to sign Johnston, who was dubbed "special" by Carlos Corberan.

Brendan Rodgers must now be wary of the winger becoming Christie 2.0 as the Scottish whiz left Celtic to join Bournemouth for just £2.5m in the summer of 2021, when they were in the Championship.

The 29-year-old, who has started 57 Premier League games since the start of last season, is now valued at roughly £10m by Transfermarkt, which shows that his value has soared since leaving Parkhead.

Why Celtic should keep hold of Mikey Johnston

Instead of cashing in on him amid interest from a Championship side, Rodgers should look to reintegrate him into the first-team at Parkhead and look to unleash his quality in the Scottish Premiership, in order to raise his value and maximise any potential sale.

The Hoops seemingly missed out on a bigger payday with Christie, as his value shot up after they sold him for just £2.5m, and that could happen with Johnston if they allow him to leave for £6m this summer.

That is because the 25-year-old star, who was once hailed as a "throwback" winger by Joe Hart, showcased his impressive attacking quality in the Championship this season.

23/24 Championship

Mikey Johnston

Appearances

18

xG

3.01

Goals

7

xA

2.01

Big chances created

4

Assists

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Johnston was an exceptional finisher as he outperformed his xG by around four goals and was let down by his teammates as they only scored one goal from the four 'big chances' that he provided them with.

The 5 foot 9 wizard ranked within the top 1% of Championship attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.54), which shows that the forward was one of the best goalscorers in his position.

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Therefore, Celtic should now look to help him translate that form over to the Premiership so that he can become a star for Rodgers and increase his value further, to make them even more money in the future.

Todd Boehly and his team may already have an eye on the upcoming summer transfer window as they prepare to dip into the market to bolster the Chelsea squad.

The American has already splashed the cash by bringing in the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Mykhailo Mudryk, Cole Palmer, and Raheem Sterling, among many others, in recent windows.

However, that does not look likely to stop the Blues from investing in their team once again when the next window opens for business later this year.

The depth of their recruitment could be affected by the remaining three games of the Premier League season, though, as the club does not know what competitions they will be competing in.

Chelsea still have the chance to qualify for either the Europa Conference League or the Europa League, and playing in Europe would require more squad depth to deal with the sheer volume of matches that they could play.

One area the Blues are reportedly looking to strengthen in is the goalkeeper position, which looks set to be bad news for current number one Dorde Petrovic.

Chelsea's interest in Premier League goalkeepers

Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino are eyeing up two current Premier League goalkeepers to potentially arrive at Stamford Bridge as the new first-choice this summer.

According to Football Insider, Chelsea are lining up a swoop for Everton and England shot-stopper Jordan Pickford to bolster their options between the sticks.

The report claims that they are also looking at Arsenal number two Aaron Ramsdale, who has lost his starting place to David Raya under Mikel Arteta this season.

It states that they have made signing a new number one a priority for the upcoming summer transfer window and that Pickford and Ramsdale have both been identified as targets.

Football Insider claims that the Gunners back-up is poised to move on from The Emirates after losing his spot in the lineup to the Spanish star, which could open the door to a move to Stamford Bridge.

Whereas, the report reveals that Everton are hoping to price their number one out of an exit from Goodison Park after they avoided relegation down to the Championship.

It remains to be seen exactly how much they are set to demand, though, and their interest in Pickford, as well as Ramsdale, spells bad news for Petrovic and his long-term place as the number one for Pochettino.

Dorde Petrovic's Premier League struggles

The Serbia international fought to win his position in the starting XI in the Premier League this season, after starting the term as the back-up to Roberto Sanchez.

He has started 19 of the club's 35 top-flight matches and kept clean sheets in each of his last two outings in the division – against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.

The 24-year-old also made a whopping ten saves and recorded a Sofascore rating of 8.9 in the 1-0 League Cup final defeat to Liverpool earlier this season, but his form in the league has left a bit to be desired.

23/24 Premier League	Robert Sanchez
Appearances	16
Goals conceded per game	1.6
Save success rate	68%
Goals prevented	-0.22
Error led to shot	2
Error led to goal	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Sanchez made three errors leading to shots or goals for the opposition in just 16 games at the start of the campaign, before being replaced by Petrovic.

The Serbian, however, has let in a staggering 7.44 more goals than expected based on the xG on his goal, compared to just 0.22 more for Sanchez, and this suggests that he has been in poor form as a shot-stopper.

Petrovic has also made two errors that have directly led to a goal for the opposition – one more than the current number two – and this means that he has been a liability with the ball at his feet at times, as well as struggling to make saves.

The interest in Pickford should come as bad news for the young gem as it suggests that Pochettino and Boehly are not prepared to give him time to gain experience and grow into his role as the number one, as they want to bring in an established star to assume that position next season.

Why Chelsea should sign Jordan Pickford

The Blues should sign the England international to bolster the squad as he is a proven Premier League performer who could come in as an immediate upgrade on Petrovic and Sanchez.

At the age of 30, Pickford is an experienced player who has racked up 284 top-flight appearances in his career to date – playing for the Toffees and Sunderland.

This means that he knows the ins and outs of the division and would have a great chance of hitting the ground running, as the talented stopper would not be coming over from a foreign league with no experience in England or the Premier League.

23/24 Premier League	Roberto Sanchez	Dorde Petrovic	Jordan Pickford
Appearances	16	20	36
Save success rate	68%	66%	70%
Successful run-outs per game	0.8	0.6	0.6
Goals prevented	-0.22	-7.44	2.08
Error led to shot or goal	3	2	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Pickford has also outperformed Chelsea's two first-team goalkeepers in the league this season, outperforming his xG against tally by 2.08.

This means that the Toffees star, who content creator Josh Wright hailed as having a "monster" campaign last term, has kept out more goals than expected with his high-quality shot-stopping skills.

These statistics suggest that Chelsea would improve their defensive numbers by bringing Pickford in as he has the ability to consistently keep out high xG chances, whilst Petrovic has conceded over seven more than expected in just 20 appearances.

The Everton star also ranks within the top 21% of his positional peers or higher in the Men's Big 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days for defensive actions outside of his penalty area per 90 (1.38) and the average distance of his defensive actions (16.4 yards) respectively.

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This shows, along with his shot-stopping, the £125k-per-week titan is an excellent sweeper who comes off his line on a regular basis to clear up behind his defence.

Overall, Chelsea's interest in Pickford should concern Petrovic as the Blues would be bringing in a superior, more experienced, goalkeeper to take his place, leaving him on the bench or in search of a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Among the bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah held on to the No. 2 spot, marginally behind Trent Boult

PTI06-Aug-2020India captain Virat Kohli (871 points) and his deputy Rohit Sharma (855) continued to retain the top two positions in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen, with Pakistan’s Babar Azam currently placed third. Among the bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah (719) held on to the No. 2 spot, marginally behind New Zealand’s Trent Boult (722).There were movements for three Irishmen, who played a key role during their impressive chase of 329 against England on Tuesday. Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, who struck 113, jumped four places to 42nd, while his deputy Paul Stirling climbed one spot to 26th after a 128-ball 142.Rookie Curtis Campher’s impressive first series, which saw him score half-centuries both times he batted – 59 not out and 68 in the first and second matches – helped him make an entry into the batsmen’s list at the 191st position.In the bowling chart, Ireland fast bowler Craig Young’s six wickets in the series lifted him 40 places to a career-best 89th position, while Mark Adair (up six places to 138th) and Josh Little (up 38 places to 146th) also made significant moves after Ireland’s stunning seven-wicket win that helped pull one back after conceding the three-match series to England.England’s ODI captain Eoin Morgan, who also scored a century in the final match, gained one place to be ranked 22nd, while Jonny Bairstow moved up a slot to 13th position, thanks to his bruising 41-ball 82 in the second ODI.Among the England bowlers, legspinner Adil Rashid advanced from 29th to 25th with five wickets in the series, while left-arm pacer David Willey’s eight wickets, including a haul of 5 for 30 in the opening match, not only won him the Player-of-the-Series award but also lifted him six places to the 51st position.England’s series win got them 20 points in the World Cup Super League, which will see 13 teams vie for direct qualifying places in the next World Cup in India in 2023. Ireland are on ten points.India and seven other top teams from the league will make it directly to the ten-team World Cup with the remaining two sides to be determined through a Qualifier.

Batsman’s actions “could have derailed World Cup campaign” says England captain

Andrew Miller27-May-2020Eoin Morgan has dealt a potentially fatal blow to Alex Hales’ hopes of an England recall, after making it clear he has not yet been forgiven for putting last summer’s World Cup campaign at risk with the timing of his drugs ban.Hales, 31, was jettisoned from England’s plans on the eve of the World Cup in May last year, after The Guardian revealed that he had failed two tests for recreational drugs, the second of which had triggered a 21-day ban.And despite a recent interview in which Hales insisted he had matured as a character, as well as last week’s endorsement from Chris Woakes, who said the team would welcome him back if he had learnt his lessons, the England captain’s latest pronouncement on the subject could sound the death knell for any lingering comeback hopes.ALSO READ: Hales ‘should be allowed a second chance’ – WoakesSpeaking ahead of a Chance to Shine event, Morgan reiterated the “huge breakdown in trust” that had led to the squad’s decision to jettison a player who had contributed six centuries and more than 2000 runs to England’s rise from ignominy at the 2015 World Cup to pre-tournament favourites in 2019.Furthermore, he warned that it could be “detrimental” to re-introduce Hales to the national set-up, in spite of his impressive recent performances, which include a haul of 815 runs at 42.89 for Sydney Thunder and Karachi Kings in this winter’s BBL and PSL, more runs on the T20 circuit than any other batsman.”Alex is in a unique position, probably a position that nobody else has found themselves in before,” said Morgan. “On the cusp of a World Cup, the huge breakdown in trust between him and the players was extremely dramatic, given the circumstances surrounding the four years [between World Cups] and the build-up, and the way that things unfolded.”It’s obviously not about performance with Alex,” Morgan added. “Alex is a fantastic player. That’s never been discussed whether he’s good enough to be in the squad or not.”Playing cricket for England is about on- and off-the-field values that we adhere to, or do our best to adhere to, and Alex showed complete disregard for them.”If he can build them up that for as long as he can, then hopefully an opportunity will present itself down the line. But I think, given that it could have derailed a World Cup campaign, it might take some more time, yes.”ALSO READ: Is it now or never for Hales to come in from the cold?England are due in the coming days to name an extended training squad as they prepare to get back to action following the Covid-19 outbreak. And the extraordinary circumstances – in particular, the likely need for concurrent red- and white-ball squads – seemed to have raised Hales’ hopes of a recall, particularly after Morgan, in a previous interview, had hinted that the “door was still open”.Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan on their way to training•Gareth Copley/Getty Images”I’ve certainly spoken to Alex, and certainly see an avenue for him to coming back to playing cricket,” Morgan said. “But like in life and in any sport, I think when there’s a breakdown of trust, the only healer in that is time.”And it’s only been 12-13 months since the incident, which could have cost us four years of hard work. Time is a great healer. So we will continue to assess things moving forward, as we’ve spoken to Alex about.””When we speak about trust, trust is a complete feeling,” Morgan added. “And it’s demonstrated by things that you said you’re going to do, and you follow through with that.”And for each and every player in our group, that timeline will be different, but we will continue to ask every player good honest questions, how they feel about the situation and will it be detrimental having Alex back into the squad, and what that will look like moving forward.”Though Morgan has intimated in recent interviews that he will assess his position at the end of the second of two back-to-back T20 World Cups, in India in 2021-22, he insisted that his ambition was undimmed by the recent down-time, and arguably enhanced after undergoing a “complete mental refresh” during lockdown.And while Hales’ realistic hopes of an England recall may hinge on his captain calling it a day, it is also clear that Morgan – who espoused the values of “courage”, “respect” and “unity” in the build-up to the World Cup – has one eye on the team’s legacy, not least their defence of the World Cup in 2023, and strongly doubts whether Hales has any place in their long-term plans.”I think teams in the past wouldn’t have been strong enough to make decisions like we did pre-World Cup, and then continue to stand by them post-World Cup,” he said. “And I think that says a lot about the group.”They feel as if they’re completely a part of something, that they can take ownership of that, because they’ve seen the work that they’ve put in and they’ve seen results. So, they also have seen instances where players coming back into groups has the ability to take a lot of energy away, and have an impact on a lot of other players.”

The latest update on Lionel Messi, who has missed 11 games at Inter Miami, suggests that he could return from injury by the end of August.

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• Argentine damaged ankle at Copa America
• Has sat out MLS & Leagues Cup fixtures
• Could be ready again by end of the month

• Getty/GOAL
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Herons released their talismanic captain for Copa America duty in the middle of June. They saw him damage his right ankle in the final of that competition, as Argentina successfully defended their continental crown on U.S. soil.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Inter Miami have picked up eight wins without Messi, but have also exited the Leagues Cup. No date has been pencilled in for the 37-year-old to return to action. are, however, reporting that the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is taking in individual training sessions.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  His fitness is being assessed on a daily basis, with no risks about to be taken. The ligaments in his ankle need time in which to fully recover, with Inter Miami eager to avoid suffering any setbacks. That means Messi will not be rushed back.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  Tata Martino’s side will be in action again when facing Supporters’ Shield rivals FC Cincinnati on August 24. Messi may not make that fixture, but he could be back in contention “by the end of the month”, per . That would still give him plenty of time in which to aid a quest for ultimate MLS Cup glory.

Arsenal could sign a striker who's scored 36 goals this season for "a lot less" than his rumoured value, according to one journalist this week.

Edu seeking new centre-forward for Arsenal this summer

The Gunners have been in fine goalscoring form since the turn of 2024, netting 33 league goals in their last eight top flight matches and averaging over four goals per 90 minutes in that time.

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Mikel Arteta has worked with the target before.

By
Charlie Smith

Mar 20, 2024

In an attacking sense, they're the team to beat right now, as manager Mikel Arteta seeks to win Arsenal their first league title in 20 years.

However, regardless of their imperiousness going forward, it is still the belief that sporting director Edu and Arsenal chiefs wish to bring in a new centre-forward this summer.

Indeed, as backed by reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal want to spend "important money" on a new striker and new centre-forward this summer.

“The expectation is for Victor Osimhen to go, this is a very clear message that we are getting," said Romano recently.

Arsenal's top scorers in the league this season	Goals
Bukayo Saka	13
Kai Havertz	8
Leandro Trossard	7
Declan Rice	6
Gabriel Martinelli	6

“So the idea is for Victor Osimhen to try a new chapter, we know there is interest since a long time from Chelsea, there is interest also since long time from Arsenal, we heard about [Viktor] Gyokeres, Arsenal are monitoring different strikers.

“Let’s see if Osimhen will be too expensive because Arsenal want to do a very big investment also in the midfield. Keep an eye on Arsenal this summer because in the midfield and in the striker position they want to invest important money.”

The message is clear – Arsenal supporters can expect their side to at least attempt a marquee striker signing later in the year.

As mentioned by Romano, Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres is a name well and truly on Edu's radar. The Sweden international has enjoyed the season of his life since joining Sporting from Coventry City last summer.

He's bagged a sensational 36 goals in all competitions this term, which has alerted top clubs from all over Europe, including Arsenal.

There have been repeated suggestions that Edu and co are leading the way to sign Gyokeres, with another update coming to light this week.

Arsenal could sign Gyokeres for "a lot less" than release clause

According to journalist Steve Key, speaking on KS1TV, Arsenal could do a deal for Gyokeres at "a lot less" than his £85 million release clause.

“Yeah, I think there’s talk that they could get him for less than the release clause," said Kay.

"I heard that today someone I was talking to said that they could get him for a lot less than his release clause is."

Called "unplayable" by former Coventry City teammate Maxime Biamou, Gyokeres has certainly lived up to that tag with his performances over 2023/2024.

West Ham United are ready to tempt a defender who manager David Moyes wants with a big-money contract offer, despite the uncertainty surrounding their boss.

Moyes contract looking set to expire at West Ham

As things stand, the Hammers head coach is on course to leave at the end of this season with his official contract expiring on June 30.

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The player has been in exceptional form this season.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 6, 2024

According to Fabrizio Romano last week, West Ham are yet to make a final decision on Moyes' future as we slowly approach the final two months of his second tenure at the club.

"Rumours appear to be continuing on David Moyes but at this stage I’m not aware of decisions made about him by West Ham,” Romano said to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing.

“The club are fully focused on the Premier League and European football, so everything that comes next will be discussed later. I think many times we heard that Moyes was almost gone and he’s still there.

Fulham (home)

April 14th

Crystal Palace (away)

April 21st

Liverpool (home)

April 27th

Chelsea (away)

May 5th

Luton Town (home)

May 11th

“Nothing is decided yet.”

Moyes has claimed that a new contract offer is there from West Ham, and it is him delaying the signing of it, but this has since been refuted by reliable media sources like ExWHUemployee.

The 60-year-old, following one of the most successful periods of West Ham's history, in which they've won a European trophy, could well be on the move if he doesn't make a success of these last few games.

A crunch Europa League quarter-final against German frontrunners Bayer Leverkusen awaits this week, which could be pivotal in determining Moyes' future, but an intriguing report by TEAMtalk has suggested that West Ham could also be planning for a future under their current manager.

West Ham ready to tempt Adarabioyo with Moyes an admirer

Indeed, it is believed Moyes is a real admirer of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo, which has a bearing on their transfer plans for the Englishman.

Amid Moyes' fondness for the 26-year-old, West Ham are said to be planning to make Tosin a lucrative contract offer in a bid to tempt towards the London Stadium.

The former Man City defender's contract expires at the end of this season, which has alerted a host of top sides, including the Irons, to the possibility of snapping him up for free later this year.

The 6 foot 5 centre-back has been brilliant for Fulham since returning from an injury earlier this season, and City boss Pep Guardiola has previously heralded Tosin's physical attributes.

“He is fast, strong in the air, and has the quality to look forward behind the line for the next pass,” said Guardiola (via GOAL).

“He definitely has a future in the first team. He is a nice guy, his mind is open, he listens, he trains every day like it’s the last training of his life and I like to work with these kinds of players a lot.”

Sunderland succumbed to their fifth straight Championship loss last night at the hands of high-flying Leicester City, veteran striker Jamie Vardy proving to be the difference-maker with an early strike for the Foxes in the 1-0 Black Cats loss.

Mike Dodds will have been encouraged by the performances of some of his players in the narrow defeat – with the stuttering Wearside outfit amassing 17 shots on the Leicester goal to the away side's lesser ten – but the scoreline would still make for grim reading at the end all the same.

There were some notable under-performers from a Sunderland perspective as well, especially Pierre Ekwah in the centre of the park who was substituted off dead on the hour mark by Dodds after a dire showing at the Stadium of Light.

Pierre Ekwah's performance vs Leicester in numbers

With the likes of Chris Rigg standing out in midfield as a lively presence, Dodds' bold team selection to start the energetic 16-year-old somewhat paying off, Ekwah's poor night was further exposed unfortunately by the teenager looking bright.

Whilst Rigg would win duels aplenty – with seven notched up next to his name by the end of the 90 minutes – Ekwah would duck his brave responsibilities on the contrary against Enzo Maresca's men by winning just one duel all game with zero aerial duels even attempted.

The 22-year-old Frenchman was also unable to spark into life from an attacking point of view, failing to register a single effort on Mads Hermansen's goal alongside coming away from the 1-0 loss without a single completed dribble.

The below-par Sunderland number 39 might well find himself axed from Dodds' starting eleven for his side's next second-tier match away at Southampton as a result, with Leo Hjelde at left-back also guilty of having an off-day against the Foxes to further trouble Dodds' upcoming team selections.

Leo Hjelde's performance vs Leicester in numbers

The January recruit from Leeds United also struggled against Leicester, with the explosive Abdul Fatawu for the away side causing all sorts of issues for the former Whites man and the rest of the Sunderland back four to contend with.

The entertaining 19-year-old winger would end the contest at the Stadium of Light with a 100% successful dribble rate next to this name, Dodds' men unable to lay a glove on the Leicester number 18 for large spells of the game.

Hjelde, meanwhile, squandered possession 17 times in total to allow Maresca's men to grow in confidence on their travels further, on top of only completing two accurate crosses from down the channels to attempt to unnerve the visitors when foraying forward.

Hjelde's numbers vs Leicester
Minutes played	90
Duels won	5/9
Possession lost	17x
Touches	63
Accurate passes	28/36 (78%)
Accurate crosses	2/6
Stats by Sofascore

As can be seen in the table above, Hjelde likely walked off the pitch unsatisfied with his showing and potentially worried that Dodds could roll the dice by selecting a new left-back over the poor 20-year-old for the trip to Saints coming up this weekend.

The Norwegian defender would pick up an unsatisfactory 4/10 rating from Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith after the 1-0 defeat, described as 'really struggling' when Leicester bombed forward with venom early on by Smith.

The 6 foot 2 full-back could breathe a little easier over his first-team spot owing to Sunderland's lack of other options that could come in to replace Hjelde, with Niall Huggins and Dennis Cirkin long-term casualties in the treatment room at left-back.

But, with the Black Cats in dire straits at the moment, Dodds could just make some surprising calls regardless involving his starting elevens to try and gain some positive results soon.

Manchester City are on the verge of sealing a transfer for Brazilian wonderkid Savinho from Troyes.

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Man City set to complete first transfer of the summerSavinho join on a five-year dealPlayed on loan at Girona last seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

According to The Athletic, the 20-year-old is all set to be the first signing of the summer for the Premier League champions. The club have already communicated to the player that he will be an integral part of Pep Guardiola's first-team squad. The winger will put pen to paper on a five-year deal.

Advertisement(C)GettyImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The young Brazilian started his professional career at Atletico Mineiro before joining the City Football Group in 2022 when he signed for Troyes. The player, however, never played for the French side and instead went out on back-to-back loan moves to PSV Eindhoven and Girona respectively.

DID YOU KNOW?

The attacker was an integral part of the Girona side that secured a third-place finish in La Liga last season and booked their berth in the Champions League. Savio appeared in 41 matches across all competitions scoring 11 times and contributing with 10 assists.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR SAVINHO?

The player currently remains focused on his Copa America journey. He scored his maiden goal for the Selecao in their last group game against Paraguay and is likely to be next seen in action on Wednesday against Colombia.

It looked as though Aston Villa were close to moving on Jhon Duran during the January transfer window, as Chelsea were showing keen interest in luring him to London.

The young Colombian suffered an injury during a cameo against Everton and this scuppered any chance of him leaving Villa.

With Morgan Rogers joining the club, does Duran have a future at Villa Park? There could be promising young talents in the academy who could step up and become a long-term heir for Ollie Watkins.

Ollie Watkins' record this season

The reason Duran failed to make much of an impression prior to his injury was his inability to displace Watkins from the starting XI.

The Englishman has scored 16 goals and grabbed 12 assists in 33 matches across all competitions during 2023/24 as he has emerged as one of the best forwards in the country.

Unai Emery has given him much more confidence and freedom, but with this type of form, surely the big boys will come calling sooner rather than later.

The Spaniard must be thinking of a contingency plan should Watkins depart the Midlands in the near future and while money will likely be spent in the transfer window to secure a replacement, there is a teenage sensation ready to make an impact in the senior squad before too long – Rory Wilson.

Rory Wilson’s youth statistics

The 18-year-old moved south to join Villa in the summer of 2022 following a spell at Glasgow Rangers where he established himself as one of the best in his age group.

Indeed, during his final season in Scotland, Wilson netted a staggering 49 goals for both club and country, and it's safe to say he has carried on with this prolific form since arriving.

Journalist Jonty Colman lauded the youngster as a “goal machine” following his exit from Ibrox and during his debut campaign at Villa, he scored 15 goals – including four in the Premier League 2 – and this gave him a solid foundation to build on ahead of this term.

In just 11 U18 Premier League games, Wilson has scored 16 goals, a simply stunning return, and he does not look like he is ready to slow down either.

Remarkably, the youngster made his Scotland U21 debut aged just 16, and it clearly shows how highly thought of he is among the national team hierarchy.

Scotland's youth coach James Grady even claimed that the 18-year-old is “obsessed with being the best” and this sort of attitude will surely stand him in good stead as he looks to make a breakthrough into the senior setup at Villa.

With the club playing in the Europa Conference League knockout stages next month, this could be an opportunity for Wilson to perhaps make the bench and even secure some minutes if the club are winning heavily.

Whatever happens, Watkins won't be at Villa forever and plans will be in place to secure a replacement. Wilson may not be ready right now, but if he keeps scoring at his current rate, the former Gers frontman will be hard to ignore.