Celtic and Brendan Rodgers are eyeing a new 20-year-old gem who has been compared to former Argentina great Angel Di Maria, according to a fresh transfer claim.

Celtic strong in Scottish Premiership but suffer Dortmund defeat

The Hoops still look nailed-on favourites to win yet another Scottish Premiership title this season, having won all seven games in the competition, sitting top of the league in the process. While Aberdeen are level on points with them at the moment, it would be a surprise if they remained in the hunt all the way through the campaign, with Rangers the biggest threat five points behind.

Celtic’s limitations have been exposed in the Champions League, however, with a 7-1 defeat away to Borussia Dortmund one of the most dispiriting results they have suffered in a long time.

Granted, they won their opening match in Europe’s most prestigious tournament, seeing off Slovan Bratislava in a 5-2 victory, but more quality could be needed for Rodgers’ side to be a genuine force in Europe.

The January transfer window will offer Celtic the chance to make new signings, at which point they will hopefully still be in the Champions League, and they have been linked with a move for a hugely exciting talent.

Celtic eyeing gem with "a lot of personality"

According to a new report from The Boot Room, Celtic are now eyeing Midtjylland forward Dario Osorio, as they battle rivals Rangers for a fresh transfer target.

The two Scottish giants “admire” the 20-year-old, but there is also believed to be plenty of interest from Premier League clubs, with Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Newcastle United all mentioned as potential suitors.

Osorio is a young player with such a high ceiling, so the idea of Celtic beating many top clubs to his signature is a mouthwatering prospect. The fact that the young attacker has been likened to Di Maria immediately bodes well, with the Argentina one of the best and most successful wingers of his generation, winning the 2022 World Cup and many other trophies in his career.

Meanwhile, Chile legend Alexis Sanchez has heaped praise on his compatriot, saying: “Dario has a lot of personality and that is important. You need that to play for the national team and at the highest level. Gary Medel and Arturo Vidal once had it and he has it, too.”

Osorio has scored 11 goals in 40 appearances for Midtjylland and has also netted once in 13 caps for Chile, and the fact that he still has so many years ahead of him means he should only mature into a more complete player over time.

Ange let "gifted" Celtic star leave for £0, now he's outscoring Engels

The former Hoops star is also on par with McGregor…

By
Robbie Walls

Oct 11, 2024

Predominantly a right-sided attacking player, the youngster has proven himself in the Europa League this season, scoring once in two outings, and Rodgers could be viewing him as a long-term addition who can make his squad even more formidable moving forward.

Glasgow Rangers will have the opportunity to win a second trophy under Philippe Clement after they reached the final of the League Cup on Sunday.

The Light Blues came from behind to win 2-1 at Hampden Park against fellow Scottish Premiership outfit Motherwell, who had been 1-0 up at half-time.

Goals from Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami turned the game around for the Scottish giants, who will now face Celtic in the final at the national stadium.

The star who was handed the Player of the Match award on the Premier Sports coverage did not get on the scoresheet, though, as Vaclav Cerny claimed that honour.

Vaclav Cerny's performance against Motherwell

The Czechia international was hailed as a bright spark for the Gers by Premier Sports pundit Alan Hutton, formerly of Rangers, for his involvements throughout the game.

On loan from Wolfsburg, Cerny continues to make a positive impression on the supporters, after an indifferent start to life at Ibrox, with his seventh goal contribution in the last five matches for the club – five goals and two assists – coming on Sunday.

The left-footed ace did not have his most efficient performance against Motherwell, however, as a number of his early touches and attempted passes were wayward and went straight back to the opposition.

He was direct, though, and kept trying things to make something happen in the final third, with one finally paying off in the 81st minute when his pass into the box for Bajrami led to the winning goal.

Cerny was not, however, the best performer on the pitch, despite his Player of the Match award, as Connor Barron was the star of the show for Clement.

Connor Barron's performance against Motherwell

The Scotland international was a shining star throughout the game for the Light Blues in the middle of the park, with an energetic display in and out of possession.

Barron was constantly buzzing around the pitch to put out fires and halt opposition attacks, which worked to great effect for the majority of the game, as Jack Butland barely had a save to make outside of the goal that was conceded.

The former Aberdeen man was also the game-changer for the Light Blues as it was his energy and clever work that created the equalising goal, which galvanised Rangers and propelled them to the win.

Barron made an intelligent run in the right channel of the box and then took a neat first touch before laying the ball off to Dessers to find the back of the net.

His performance was rewarded with a player rating of 8/10 from GlasgowWorld, who only gave Cerny a score of 7/10, and that was the highest rating of any Rangers player.

The 22-year-old dynamo was key to the Light Blues getting back into the game with his energy in and out of possession and changed the game with his brilliant assist for the equaliser, which is why he was the star of the show for Clement – instead of the Czechia forward.

Rangers could replace Clement with "kamikaze" 4-3-3 manager

Rangers may soon be on the lookout for a new manager.

2 ByRoss Kilvington Nov 2, 2024

Both parties are now expected to withdraw litigation, with a new revenue distribution model mapped out

Umar Farooq07-Dec-2021The ongoing legal feud between Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Pakistan Television (PTV) has been settled outside of court, mediated by the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s office. Both parties are now expected to withdraw litigation. The revenue sharing model, ESPNcricinfo understands, has also been revised, allowing PCB to take 72% of the share while PTV will take 28% out of the commercial deals, a significant change from the previous 57.5 – 42.5 arrangement.Related

Court issues stay order against PCB's suspension of PTV deal

Landmark broadcast deal worth over $200 million falls apart

The PCB had signed a three-year broadcast deal last year in September with PTV to broadcast home cricket, as well as an agreement with I-Media Communications Services, to ensure the PCB’s broadcast content is not redistributed illegally by cable operators. The model could have potentially had them earn in excess of USD $200 million, but last month new PCB chairman Ramiz Raja had unilaterally suspended the deal with PTV and terminated the I-Media contract to open a new tender for the media rights for Pakistan’s upcoming series against West Indies and Australia.PTV had gone to Lahore Civil Court to obtain a stay order against PCB’s abrupt move, and the two parties were struck in a legal wrangle – PCB going to the High Court – with the West Indies series around the corner. The courts adjourned the hearings while the PCB was keen to go into fresh bidding and bring in a new broadcaster; PTV, the state broadcaster, was unhappy with this and had a number of meetings to renegotiate with PCB, citing that they had never violated their agreements or defaulted on their payments.The expected earnings from this deal would come from advertising revenue and also, for the first time in Pakistan, distribution revenue from the cable operators – the equivalent of revenues that broadcasters make from subscriptions – through I-Media. I-Media was meant to ensure that the distribution of cricket content would only be done through licensed cable operators, and the value of the content would be protected against potential illegal distribution. The production rights however had to be regulated by PCB on their own.The deal with I-Media now stands terminated due to non-compliance on payments. The Pakistan government is yet to implement the Digital Pakistan policy, one part of which regulates the illegal cable operator business, though the plan is to have it done within a year.The broadcast deal until last year was signed in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic in a shrinking broadcast market. It ended a long-running broadcast relationship between the PCB and Ten Sports, and there were no potential overseas takers at the time as international rights for PCB’s home series were sold separately to various channels around the world.Recently though, Pakistan has had a few local sports broadcasters to choose from. The ARY Group has launched an HD sports channel, A-Sports, which covered the T20 World Cup and is presently broadcasting the Lankan Premier League. PTV broadcasts its content in standard definition, but ESPNcricinfo has learnt that the state broadcaster is set to upgrade their broadcasting quality to HD within a month.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco passa por um processo de reconstrução de seu elenco e aos poucos busca dar entrosamento ao novo grupo. O técnico Zé Ricardo acredita que o grupo ainda é heterogêneo e que precisa de tempo para evoluir. Por isso, alguns jogadores demonstraram cansaço e ainda precisam ganhar ritmo de jogo e forma física. Dos reforços, ele não pode contar com Vitinho, que está lesionado, e ainda não utilizou o equatoriano Luís Cangá.

RelacionadasVascoJuninho Pernambucano completa 47 anos neste domingo; Vasco relembra momentos da carreira do ídoloVasco30/01/2022VascoNene reconhece melhora na etapa final e cita que Vasco precisa evoluir: ‘Tivemos chances de matar o jogo’Vasco30/01/2022VídeoVÍDEO: Vasco empata com o Boavista no Campeonato Carioca; veja os melhores momentos da partidaVídeo30/01/2022

– Esse cansaço já era esperado. Fizemos um jogo na quarta-feira, eles (Boavista) jogaram na terça. Estavam mais preparados no quesito físico e a recuperação foi maior. O primeiro tempo estivemos abaixo no quesito do jogo, mesmo. No segundo tempo, era natural, porque o desgaste é muito grande. Tentamos retomar com as trocas, mas o entrosamento ainda demanda tempo. É normal não estar no 100%. Até tivemos gás para tentar duas ou três oportunidades no final, mas o gol não aconteceu- disse.

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

Dos reforços, ele não pode contar com Vitinho, que está lesionado, e ainda não utilizou o equatoriano Luís Cangá. O zagueirochegou ao Cruz-Maltino com o contrato de três meses, até o fim do Campeonato Carioca. Por ser um período curto, a expectativa é alta para que ele seja utilizado e mostre que pode ter sequência no clube.

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Carioca

Para Zé Ricardo, os problemas de Covid-19 afetaram a preparação do equatoriano. O defensor busca a forma física e será utilizado em breve. Enquanto isso, Anderson Conceição e Ulisses seguem como a dupla titular da zaga do Vasco. O comandante elogiou o entrosamento do experiente com a cria da base vascaína.

+Vasco sai na frente, mas queda de rendimento e falta de entrosamento pesam no empate com o Boavista

– O Cangá, a gente entende que entrará jogando em breve. Ele teve o problema da Covid-19, começou o trabalho 10 dias depois e está entrando em forma física. Tem feito bons treinamentos. Em breve, terá chance de jogar. O Ulisses apresentou bom entrosamento com o Conceição também, por isso iniciaram a temporada – explicou.

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been accused of intentionally receiving a yellow card as a birthday gift for his brother.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Paqueta accused of intentionally getting booked
• Allegedly did so as a gift for his brother
• Midfielder set for FA hearing next month

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Evidence submitted to a parliamentary enquiry in Brazil claims Paqueta told whistleblower Bruno Lopez that he planned on getting booked in a match against Aston Villa on March 12 as a "birthday present" for his brother, Matheus, reports. He went on to receive a yellow card for a foul on John McGinn.

  The report, which was prepared by former Brazil star and current senator Romario, cites WhatsApp messages between Bruno Lopez and a bettor named Marlon Nascimento da Silva mentioning the plan. Investigators also found that Matheus Paqueta is close to Marlon and followed him on social media. The document goes on to say that Marlon received around £13,000 across five bank transactions from Paqueta's uncle.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The file on the 27-year-old was submitted as part of an investigation into gambling in football. Despite the allegations, the commission has not called for Paqueta to face punishment in his homeland. However, he faces severe repercussions from the Football Association (FA) over four suspicious yellow cards – in games against Leicester in 2022 and Leeds, Aston Villa, and Bournemouth in 2023. Paqueta has insisted he is innocent amid the ongoing investigation and will face an FA hearing in March.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  If found guilty of the charges Paqueta could be hit with a lifetime ban from football. The Brazil international has remained a key figure for West Ham as the investigation goes on, scoring five goals in 25 appearances this season.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR PAQUETA?

  Paqueta missed West Ham's last game with a hip injury but could be back in the squad for the clash against Brentford on Saturday. It remains to be seen how much longer the club will have him at their disposal, although they are confident he will be available for most of 2024-25.

Rangers are preparing for arguably their most important game of the season so far against Aberdeen, and a big update has emerged regarding an “outstanding” player.

Rangers preparing for trip to Aberdeen

The Gers continue to plod along in relatively unconvincing fashion this season, still churning out some wins but rarely looking as impressive as they have at other times during Philippe Clement’s reign.

Rangers trail both Celtic and Aberdeen by six points in the Scottish Premiership currently, and a huge game is now on the horizon for Clement’s men, with a trip to the Dons arriving on Wednesday evening.

Their upcoming opponents have enjoyed a superb start to the season, with their only dropped points coming in a 2-2 draw away to Celtic, and they are only behind the Gers’ biggest rivals on goal difference after nine matches.

It is a massive challenge for Rangers, with the result at Pittodrie having the potential to decide whether Clement is still in charge after the game or not. Defeat would feel fatal to their title hopes, even this early in the campaign, especially if Celtic win at home to Dundee at the same time, going nine points clear in the process.

Rangers handed injury boost before Aberdeen

Injuries haven’t been too kind to Clement this season, which in fairness to him, can be used as an excuse for certain shortcomings, but now a positive update has emerged. According to a new update from The Daily Mail, Rangers are “quietly optimistic” that John Souttar will be fit for the trip to Aberdeen on Wednesday, having missed Sunday’s 2-1 win at home to St Mirren.

To have Souttar back in the fold at Pittodrie would be a huge shot in the arm for anyone of a Rangers persuasion, considering how influential he has become since arriving from Hearts back in 2022. The Scot has averaged 3.9 aerial duel wins per game in the league this season, as well as completing 92.4% of his passes, showing that he is a force in and out of possession.

The 26-year-old is rightly described in The Daily Mail‘s report as the Gers’ “first-choice centre-back”, while Kevin Kyle lauded him earlier this year, saying: “He’ll be going to the Euros. Scotland’s best defender.

“I liked him before he got his injuries, when he scored the header against Denmark. Thought he was outstanding. I just like him. I just think he’s a proper, proper defender but he also plays. He defends very, very well but he can play.”

There is clearly no guarantee that Souttar is going to be fit for the vital midweek clash, but if he is passed fit and named in Rangers’ starting lineup against Aberdeen, it would immediately increase their chances of picking up a positive result.

John Souttar’s Scottish Premiership stats this season

Total

Appearances

8

Starts

8

Minutes played

720

Clearances per game

5.4

Aerial duel wins per game

3.9

Tackles per game

0.4

Interceptions per game

0.3

Pass completion rate

92.4%

Regardless of his availability, though, the Gers simply must avoid defeat to avoid almost being out of the title race before November, but ideally pick up all three points against the Dons.

أوضح أسطورة نادي ليفربول، ستيف نيكول، أسباب انخفاض مستوى محمد صلاح في المباريات الأخيرة خاصة أمام باريس سان جيرمان ونيوكاسل.

ولم يظهر محمد صلاح بالمستوى المطلوب منه خلال الأسابيع الماضية، مما عرضه للكثير من الانتقادات بعد خروج ليفربول من البطولة القارية وخسارة لقب كأس “كاراباو”.

وقال ستيف نيكول، المحلل في شبكة ESPN FC: “تراجع مستوى محمد صلاح يعود بشكل أساسي إلى قلة حصوله على الكرة من زملائه في ليفربول كما كان يحدث سابقًا هذا الموسم”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. نونيز عن كثرة الانتقادات ضده في ليفربول: الكرة لا تريد دخول المرمى

وتابع: “في الموسم الرائع الذي قدمه ليفربول حتى الآن، كانوا يمنحونه الكرة باستمرار، وكان يحصل على فرص المواجهة الفردية مع المدافعين، مما يسمح له بدخول منطقة الجزاء والتسديد، لكن خلال الأسابيع القليلة الماضية، اختفى كل ذلك من أسلوب لعب ليفربول، وهذه هي المشكلة الأكبر”.

وأضاف: “غياب ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد عن مباراة نيوكاسل أثر على محمد صلاح، إذ فقد المصدر الأساسي للتمريرات التي تمكنه من استغلال نقاط ضعف دفاعات الخصوم بالشكل الأمثل”.

وأتم: “محمد صلاح لم يقدم الأداء المتوقع في المباريات الكبيرة الأخيرة ضد باريس سان جيرمان ونيوكاسل، والسبب ببساطة أن زملاءه لم يمنحوه الدعم الكافي لمواجهة الدفاعات كما اعتاد”.

Decision will be based on Abu Dhabi conditions as new opening combo prepares to step up

Matt Roller09-Nov-2021

David Willey and Sam Billings (from left) could come into the reckoning as England seek final berth•Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press

England will make a late decision regarding the balance of their side for Wednesday’s T20 World Cup semi-final against New Zealand based on conditions in Abu Dhabi, their captain Eoin Morgan has revealed.With Jason Roy ruled out of the tournament due to a calf tear sustained in Saturday’s 10-run defeat against South Africa, England face a choice between maintaining their batting-heavy formation – which sees Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali combining as the ‘fifth’ bowler to supplement three seamers and a frontline spinner in Adil Rashid – or bringing in a bowling allrounder to give themselves additional bowling cover.James Vince was added to the squad on Monday after spending the last three weeks in Dubai as a travelling reserve and is one of two spare batters, along with Sam Billings. Tom Curran and David Willey are the two spare bowling allrounders, while Reece Topley was brought into squad as an injury replacement for Tymal Mills ahead of the South Africa game.Morgan said that the decision as to who replaced Roy in the side would come down to conditions in Abu Dhabi, suggesting that they would lean towards an extra bowling option if they expect the pitch to be conducive to high-scoring, but would pick a batter if it looks like it will offer assistance for bowlers. It is understood that Wednesday’s game will be played on Pitch 7 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, which was previously used for South Africa vs Bangladesh and Pakistan vs Namibia in Super 12s fixtures and offered good bounce for seamers on those occasions.”Replacing him [Roy] with another bowler would mean that you’d have 28 genuine overs on the field, and a lot of options,” Morgan said at his pre-match press conference before England’s optional training session at ICC Academy in Dubai. “If you were to go with a batter, it would mean a like-for-like replacement.”When we turn up and look at the wicket, depending if it’s a really good batting wicket or predicting if going to be a really good wicket, you might need the extra bit of bowling, and if it’s not, we might need an extra bit of batting.”Morgan also confirmed that England had decided who would open the batting alongside Jos Buttler, suggesting that it is likely to be a player who has already been part of the side rather than a late entrant in Vince. Jonny Bairstow, an opener for England in ODI cricket and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, is the probable candidate, with Dawid Malan offering the main alternative, and Livingstone and Moeen representing more left-field options.Related

Williamson wary of England's depth despite Roy, Mills absence

Tactics board: Moeen's role, NZ's batting strategy and Sodhi's England match-up

Moeen riding confidence wave as England chase twin white-ball glory

Who should replace Roy, and who will Buttler's opening partner be?

“Within the group, we’ve made a decision,” Morgan said. “I’m not willing to share that unfortunately but the balance of the side will be determined on how the wicket looks and how we match-up against the Black Caps.”I don’t think it is [a difficult call to have made]. I think we’re blessed with guys who can bat at the top of the order and actually want to bat at the top of the order. If you look around the highest run-scorers, the big-name players, they all want to bat or are batting in the top three in every team.”We’re lucky we have guys that queue up and want to bat in the top three, which is great because they want to go head-to-head with the big-name players in the tournament – they want to go head-to-head with the big-name bowlers in the opposition. I think we’re in a very lucky position that we have a number of guys to choose from.”Whichever option England choose, Roy will undoubtedly be a major loss: he is England’s second-highest run-scorer in this tournament and has been a key part of their white-ball set-up in the six-and-a-half years since their group-stage exit in the 50-over World Cup in 2015. Morgan said that he had been proud of his squad’s “resilience” in the absence of other key players in Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes, Sam Curran and Mills, and that reaching the final would be “a hell of an achievement”.”If you look right from the very beginning of our selection process leading into the World Cup, we’ve got a number of big-name players missing from our squad and that’s continued both pre-tournament with Sam Curran and into the tournament with Jason Roy and Tymal Mills,” Morgan said. “Other guys have found something else within themselves to either try and fill that gap or contribute in a different way to the team.”Like losing any of your experienced players, you can’t really replace that experience that Jason has: he’s played integral parts in our two previous World Cup campaigns. [But] of all the things we’ve done well throughout this tournament, probably our strongest point has been the resilience within our squad to be able to find a way to move forward and forge on.”

Season 4 of Ted Lasso will reportedly begin filming in May or June of 2025, with “focus shifting” for Jason Sudeikis and Co. as new stories are told.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Summer filming schedule being lined upAnother three series reportedly agreedRichmond set to form a women's teamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Apple TVWHAT HAPPENED?

Speculation regarding a return to Apple TV+ streaming services for the award-winning production has been rife since the autumn of 2024. It was claimed back then that leading members of the cast and crew were on board and “excited” to get going.

AdvertisementTHE GOSSIP

There have been regular hints since then that the relevant green lights have been given and that work is underway to bring AFC Richmond back to the small screen. It would appear as though cameras will begin rolling in the summer.

Apple TV/GettyWHAT AN INSIDER SAID

According to Sigmund Judge of the podcast, with the programme about to be taken in a different direction: “London filming for Ted Lasso S4 is now set to begin in May/June with focus shifting at AFC Richmond to the formation of its women’s team.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

DID YOU KNOW?

Judge went on to say of plans supposedly being drawn up for three more seasons of Ted Lasso: “Pre-production is in full swing. The original agreement was a three season order, which I believe has been repeated. I’d think it’s safe to assume that the writing rooms have been secretly busy for some time.”

West Ham United are currently struggling to adapt to a new style of play, with David Moyes leaving the club in the summer, and Julen Lopetegui coming through the door, implementing a more possession-based approach.

Their midfield has struggled to find balance, leading to poor passing and control metrics, such as 45.4% possession (sixth worst in the division), and 83.0% passing accuracy (tenth worst in the division).

The Hammers find themselves 12th in the Premier League after seven games, winning two, drawing two, and losing three, leaving them on eight points. They have conceded 11 and only scored ten, which will need to see improvement on both sides of the ball in order to enter the top half of the table.

West Ham's midfield options

The current midfield options at West Ham consist of Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez, Carlos Soler, Tomas Soucek, and Lucas Paqueta. A good group of individual players, but Lopetegui is struggling to find the correct blend in that midfield to get the best out of everyone.

Alvarez and Rodriguez are better suited to playing as a defensive midfielder (number six) with a more mobile presence beside them. Soucek is more of a box to box option, who can crash the penalty area and score goals, but he also isn’t the most mobile, whilst Soler is a technically gifted player, similar to Paqueta, who is better on the ball, and especially in Paqueta’s case, higher up the pitch.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Alvarez

Rodriguez

Soucek

Soler

Paqueta

Goals

0.00

0.00

0.34

0.00

0.31

Assists

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

0.00

xG

0.00

0.02

0.39

0.14

0.34

xAG

0.04

0.00

0.08

0.00

0.10

Progressive Passes

4.44

2.54

3.53

5.71

6.72

Progressive Carries

0.37

0.17

0.39

0.71

1.03

Tackles

3.70

2.71

1.96

1.43

1.72

Interceptions

1.43

1.29

0.92

0.91

0.62

Aerials Won

1.11

1.19

3.92

0.00

1.03

The Hammers have tried multiple combinations, but their most successful has to be the recent midfield trio against Ipswich, containing Rodriguez, Soucek and Paqueta. This leaves Alvarez in a tricky situation, as he was originally signed to be the replacement for Declan Rice.

It’s not the first time that a midfielder hasn’t lived up to the billing for the east London side…

West Ham's own Patrick Vieira

When Cheikhou Kouyate first signed for West Ham, back in 2014, Sam Allardyce explained why there had been comparisons to Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira, stating “just look at his size and the way he moves”.

Vieira – who is part of the Premier League’s Hall of Fame – remains a legendary figure due to his stunning stint with the Gunners, having memorably been the captain of Arsene Wenger’s glorious ‘Invincibles’ in 2003/04.

Much like Vieira – who stands at 6 foot 4 – Kouyate is also a towering presence at 6 foot 2, albeit with that perhaps where the similarity ended, as the Senegalese destroyer didn’t quite live up to those lofty standards.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

In all, Kouyate – who was the subject of notable criticism from supporters amid his dip in form prior to leaving – made 147 appearances for West Ham, scoring 15 goals, providing eight assists, and totalling 12,644 minutes played, before being sold by Manuel Pellegrini in 2018 for roughly £9.5m, joining Crystal Palace.He would go on to make 141 appearances for the Eagles, scoring three goals, and providing four assists in 10,471 minutes, prior to then joining fellow Premier League side, Nottingham Forest, on a free transfer.Now it looks like the 34-year-old – whose two-year contract with Forest ended over the summer – could be on his way to Leeds, albeit in the meantime, he remains a free agent.In truth, Kouyate didn't quite turn out to be the 'next Patrick Vieira', and while he has certainly had a serviceable Premier League career, he was perhaps set up for failure from the get-go by such an eye-catching comparison.smallRelatedMoyes wanted to sign £47m star to replace Rice, but West Ham signed AlvarezMoyes wanted midfield "destroyer" to replace Rice back in 2023