"I can guarantee" – Arsenal player reveals exit timeline with next club already decided

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be overjoyed by how his side reacted to their first defeat of the season away to Liverpool, with the Gunners going unbeaten in their last seven games since then and topping the Premier League table.

By contrast, Liverpool have got a taste of their own medicine in the last fortnight after previously winning games in dramatic late fashion — losing their last two successive top flight matches against Crystal Palace and Chelsea in the final minutes.

Arsenal have now leapfrogged the Reds into pole position, with Arteta just reigning victorious in his 300th game in charge of the club against West Ham.

Saka also reached two impressive milestones against the Hammers, marking his 200th Premier League appearance by reaching a century of goal involvements in the competition.

Appearances

270

Goals

73

Assists

71

Bookings

31

Red cards

0

Minutes played

20,448

Sporting director Andrea Berta, after sealing new contracts for star defender William Saliba and goalkeeper David Raya recently, is in talks with Saka’s camp to extend the winger’s terms beyond 2027.

The 24-year-old could get a salary increase to north of £250,000-per-week and the North Londoners are optimistic they can agree a deal by Christmas (Football Transfers), with defender Jurrien Timber also poised to be handed a new deal after his excellent form.

With a host of players looking likely to commit their futures to Arsenal for the foreseeable, the same cannot be said of summer signing Christian Norgaard, who has already decided his next club and revealed when he’s going to leave.

Christian Norgaard reveals Arsenal exit timeline with next club decided

Speaking to Bold, Norgaard says that Arsenal will definitely be his last club abroad, and he wants a return to Brondby once his contract expires in 2027 or 2028.

The 31-year-old former Brentford captain was brought in as an experienced utility player and a replacement for Thomas Partey, missing Arsenal’s first four league games of the season with a knock, and is yet to play a single top flight minute for his new club.

Norgaard started the Carabao Cup third round win away to Port Vale last month, playing one minute in the Champions League against Athletic Bilbao, but this is the summary of his game time under Arteta so far.

The Denmark international would’ve been made aware of his bit-part role before he signed from Brentford, and going by this message, he doesn’t appear to have any issue with his squad-player status.

Dudu volta a treinar no campo, mas deve seguir como desfalque no Palmeiras

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras finalizou sua preparação para enfrentar o América-MG, neste domingo (30), pelo Brasileirão. Na manhã deste sábado (29), na Academia de Futebol, a novidade foi a presença de Dudu em campo. No entanto, o camisa 7 ainda deve ficar fora da delegação que viaja para Belo Horizonte nesta tarde. Foco segue sendo a preparação para a Libertadores.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Após um vídeo e uma atividade de ativação na sala de musculação, os jogadores foram a campo e realizaram, inicialmente, um recreativo. Na sequência, houve um trabalho tático e o elenco ensaiou posicionamentos, marcações, bolas aéreas, entre outros aspectos.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

O atacante Dudu, desfalque das últimas partidas por dores na panturrilha direita, fez uma movimentação com bola com integrantes da comissão técnica e do Núcleo de Saúde e Performance. Ele não atua desde a eliminação para o São Paulo, na Copa do Brasil, no dia 13 de julho. A intenção da comissão técnica é deixá-lo pronto para as oitavas de final da Libertadores, contra o Atlético-MG, nesta quarta-feira (2).

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Mesmo às vésperas do confronto decisivo pela competição continental, o Verdão não deve poupar jogadores diante do América-MG. O provável time é: Weverton; Mayke, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo e Piquerez; Zé Rafael, Gabriel Menino e Raphael Veiga; John John, Artur e Rony.

+ Dudu foca na parte física e pode reforçar o Palmeiras somente na Libertadores

O Palmeiras é o quarto colocado do Brasileirão com 28 pontos, 12 atrás do Botafogo, líder da tabela. Nos últimos 39 jogos do torneio, o Alviverde foi derrotado apenas três vezes, somando 22 vitórias e 14 empates.

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Gerrard's "top-class" Rangers star is worth £8m more than Aarons after exit

Glasgow Rangers have had an issue in both of the full-back positions in the first month or so of the season in all competitions under Russell Martin.

Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz both left the club on permanent deals and Jayden Meghoma arrived on loan from Brentford, which means that the only natural left-back in the squad is a young and inexperienced loanee.

On the other side of the pitch, Max Aarons joined on loan from Bournemouth to compete with James Tavernier for a starting berth at right-back, but has failed to impress.

Why Max Aarons has been underwhelming for Rangers

The former England U21 international started the season as a first-choice full-back, at left-back and then at right-back, but found himself as an unused substitute in the 0-0 draw with Celtic last weekend.

Aarons was left on the bench after he was sent off against Club Brugge in the opening minutes of the 6-0 loss to the Belgian side for hauling down his former teammate Christos Tzolis.

In the three Scottish Premiership matches that the defender did start, the loanee failed to create a single ‘big chance’ for his team, and his lack of height and physicality was on display as he failed to win a single aerial duel, per Sofascore.

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?

Whilst Aarons has been underwhelming and may find himself on the bench behind Tavernier for the time being, Rangers may look back and wonder what could have been with Nathan Patterson.

Nathan Patterson's current market value

In January 2022, Ross Wilson and Giovanni van Bronckhorst sanctioned the sale of the Scotland international to Everton for an initial fee of £11m.

Everton right-back Nathan Patterson

That seemed like a great deal at the time, given that he was behind Tavernier in the pecking order, but they may look back on that decision as a howler when they consider how the situation has evolved in that position since then.

Patterson, whose deliveries into the box were hailed as “top class” by Steven Gerrard, is currently worth £13m, per Transfermarkt, and that is £8m more than Aarons’ market value of £5m.

Billy Gilmour

£17m

Nathan Patterson

£13m

Greg Taylor

£5m

Lewis Morgan

£3m

Ryan Hardie

£1.5m

As you can see in the table above, Billy Gilmour is the only former Rangers academy talent who is currently worth more than the Scottish right-back, whose value has risen by £2m since his move to Everton.

The 23-year-old defender has played 59 times for the Toffees, including 49 times in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt, and been capped 23 times by Scotland at senior level.

Everton defender Nathan Patterson.

No permanent player within the Rangers squad is worth more than Patterson, per Transfermarkt, and this suggests that he could be the most valuable player at the club if they had not sold him back in 2022.

The Scottish right-back could have continued his development at Ibrox under Tavernier’s guidance before eventually taking his place as the first-choice right-back, which is something Aarons is already struggling to do.

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Instead, Van Bronckhorst and Wilson cashed in on him and now the Light Blues are in a position where they have an underwhelming Aarons, on current evidence, competing for a starting berth in that role, instead of an incredibly gifted academy graduate who has now proven himself in the Premier League.

West Ham gifted Nuno Espirito Santo boost as his "priority" is revealed

West Ham United have just been handed a boost in their reported pursuit of former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espírito Santo, as pressure also grows on under-fire Hammers boss Graham Potter.

Potter has made one of the worst starts to a new season by any Hammers boss in Premier League history, and only Avram Grant’s relegated Hammers team from the 2010/2011 season conceded more goals at this stage of the campaign.

Grant’s dismal West Ham are also the only Irons side to record a lower win percentage in the competition than Potter’s men — which makes for incredibly worrying reading.

9. Sam Allardyce

30.7%

10. Julen Lopetegui

30%

11. Gianfranco Zola

27.8%

12, Graham Potter

27.3%

13. Avram Grant

18.9%

via StatMuse

After the east Londoners lost all three of their opening matches in all competitions, the pressure was already on Potter, but an excellent 3-0 win over Nuno’s Forest at the City Ground actually restored some degree of faith that things could turn a corner.

That turned out to be Nuno’s final game in charge of Forest, despite guiding them back to Europe for the first time since 1995 last term, owing to a public fallout with controversial owner Evangelos Marinakis which ultimately cost the Portuguese his job.

Since then, West Ham have swiftly been brought right back down to Earth after the international break following a 3-0 slump at home to Tottenham in the London derby last Saturday, and Nuno could now replace Potter.

Reports suggest that West Ham chair David Sullivan is a fan of Nuno (Alan Nixon), and the fact he is readily available makes the prospect of his potential appointment a fairly doable one if they do decide to sack Potter.

Nuno Espírito Santo stance on next job as West Ham eye move

A lot will depend on Nuno’s wishes and his stance on joining West Ham, with journalist Neil Goulding sharing a significant boost for Sullivan in this regard.

According to Goulding, Nuno’s “priority” is to remain in the Premier League after leaving Forest, and he’s extremely keen to jump right back into management — which will suit West Ham down to the ground.

He’s apparently hungry for his next role as soon as possible, so West Ham may need to make a decision on Potter’s future fairly quickly.

West Ham should consider Nuno to replace Potter

West Ham’s next three league games against Crystal Palace, Everton and Arsenal will likely go a long way in determining Potter’s long-term future, but if they elect to part company, Nuno is arguably their best replacement choice.

José Mourinho is also a free agent, though his last job in England was a lacklustre spell at Tottenham, while Nuno made history by seriously overachieving at Forest last term on limited resources.

This arguably makes him a standout candidate, and Nuno is known for promoting defensive discipline in his setup — something which West Ham have lacked for a very long time.

He also significantly improved Forest’s set-piece weaknesses, which were a major achilles heel for them prior to his arrival, not to mention an aspect of play that West Ham have seriously struggled with under Potter.

Perhaps Nuno could be a David Moyes 2.0, with the potential to bring back serious solidarity to an otherwise very fragile side.

‘Wrexham won’t struggle’ – Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney can relax as EFL veteran tells Red Dragons the two qualities they need to thrive in the Championship

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been assured that “Wrexham won’t struggle” this season, meaning that they can relax a little, but the Red Dragons have been told what they need to do in order to be competitive in the Championship. Phil Parkinson is being backed to steer the Welsh outfit away from any kind of danger during the 2025-26 campaign.

Meteoric rise: History made in promotion run

Having made EFL history with a run of three successive promotions, Wrexham find themselves in the second tier of English football ahead of schedule. Big money is having to be invested in a bid to ensure that no backwards steps are taken.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALSpending spree: Big window for the Red Dragons

Hollywood co-owners Reynolds and McElhenney helped to fund a £33 million ($45m) spending spree in the summer transfer window, with Premier League pedigree being added to the ranks at SToK Racecourse.

Slow start: Questions asked of Parkinson

A slow start to the new season was endured, leading to the odd question being asked of Parkinson’s future, but a return to winning ways was made last time out at Norwich. Wrexham are considered to have more than enough to keep them clear of any relegation dogfights.

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GettyChampionship advice: Pulis talks Wrexham

Experienced Welsh tactician Tony Pulis told : “Wrexham won’t struggle, they've got enough. Phil Parkinson has done a fantastic job there. They certainly have enough to compete, though I'm not sure if they'll be in the top six this season.

“He's made some good signings. If they can get the momentum they've had year after year and bring it into this league again, it's an unbelievable and difficult ground to visit. Phil knows the league, having played in it himself, so he understands what's coming. He'll have it all planned out.

“It's just about momentum. If they can pick up results home and away and gain self-belief and confidence, that's one of the big things after promotion. Players will be wary of whether they're good enough. They'll be going into different, bigger grounds with a different atmosphere. It's about having that self-belief and confidence, and there's nothing better for that than winning games.”

Rajshahi stun champions Sylhet; Dhaka Metro finish second

Rajshahi Division upset the champions Sylhet Division, beating them by 54 runs in the last round of the 2024-25 National Cricket League. The result ended Sylhet’s unbeaten run, which had paved the way for their maiden title.Batting first, Rajshahi were bowled out for 226, with Sabbir Hossain hitting his third first-class century. Sabbir and Habibur Rahman Sohan added 119 runs for the opening stand but Rajshahi collapsed thereafter. Fast bowler Sofor Ali took his maiden five-wicket haul while Tofael Ahmed took four wickets.Sylhet were then bowled out for 212 despite fifties from captain Amite Hasan and Pinak Ghosh. Amite reached 700 runs in the tournament in this innings. Left-arm spinner Nihaduzzaman took four wickets, while Shafiqul Islam, Asaduzzaman Payel and legspinner Wasi Siddiquee nabbed two each.Sofor, Tofael and Nabil Samad took three wickets each as Rajshahi were bowled out for 186 runs in their second innings. Amite struck his second fifty of the match but it wasn’t enough as Sylhet were bowled out for 146 runs in the fourth innings.Nihaduzzaman took 5 for 24, giving him career-best match figures of 9 for 85. It earned him the Player-of-the-Match award. Amite, meanwhile, was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for finishing on 785 runs, and leading Sylhet to the trophy.Dhaka Metropolis finished the competition in second place after they beat Chattogram Division by five wickets in Rajshahi.Batting first, Chattogram were bowled out for 160, with the left-arm spin pair of Rakibul Hasan and Arif Ahmed taking four wickets each.Aich Mollah then struck 57 as Dhaka Metro finished on 268, leading by 108 runs. Left-arm spinner Ashraful Islam Rohan took four wickets. Sajjadul Haque and Nayeem Hasan made fifties as Chattogram reached 246. Arif took five wickets while left-arm quick Abu Hider picked up four.Dhaka Metro then completed the fourth-innings chase of 141 runs in 29.5 overs.Sylhet captain Amite Hasan was named Player of the Tournament•BCB

Barishal Division picked up their first win of the season after beating Dhaka Division by 122 runs in Bogra.Batting first, Sohag Gazi and Fazle Mahmud made fifties to take Barishal to 289. Rony Talukdar then struck his 12th first-class hundred, to help Dhaka to 310 for 9. Barishal got bowled out for 241, taking their lead to 220 runs.Left-arm quick Ruyel Miah then took six wickets as Dhaka were bowled out for 98.Fast bowler Mehedi Hasan Rana took eleven wickets in the drawn match between Khulna Division and Rangpur Division in Khulna. It was only the second 10-wicket match haul of the season, while it was the first of Rana’s first-class career.He took 7 for 31 to help bowl out Rangpur for just 133, in reply to Khulna’s 244. Khulna then declared their second innings on 147 for 6, before Rangpur batted out the remaining 55 overs to finish on 242 for 7. Rana took four wickets in the second innings.

Ryan Giggs' brother Rhodri brands Premier League Hall of Fame a 'SHAM' after Man Utd legend is left out of 2025 shortlist

Ryan Giggs’ brother Rhodri has branded the Premier League Hall of Fame a “sham” after seeing the Manchester United legend overlooked again.

  • Won 13 Premier League titles
  • Legend at Old Trafford
  • Generated off-field controversy
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The latest list of potential inductees for 2025 has been released, with the Red Devils boasting plenty of representation. Gary Neville, Michael Carrick, Nemanja Vidic, Edwin van der Sar and Michael Owen are all nominated – having previously missed out on selection.

    Patrice Evra and Teddy Sheringham have been shortlisted for the first time, but there is no place among the contenders for Old Trafford icon Giggs. The ex-Wales international made 963 appearances for United and helped them to 13 Premier League titles.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    His legacy has, however, become shrouded in controversy. An extramarital affair with his brother’s wife was exposed, leading to the eventual collapse of his own marriage, while a gagging order was taken out in a bid to prevent a fling with Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas coming to light.

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Giggs saw his managerial career with Wales come to a close after being arrested on suspicion of assault in 2020 – although he always maintained his innocence and was subsequently cleared in 2023 after ex-girlfriend Kate Greville withdrew from a retrial.

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  • WHAT GIGGS SAID

    The Premier League is seemingly reluctant to wipe the slate clean, leading to Rhodri – who is backing his brother despite very public historical grievances between the pair – claiming that a supposed collection of the very best performers to ever grace the English top-flight has become “TheShamHallOfFame”.

Leeds make contact to sign "exquisite" forward likened to Luis Suarez

Leeds United are building for their return to the Premier League under Daniel Farke and have now set their sights on a talented forward, according to reports.

Farke makes Leeds United plans for Bamford clear

Making an impressive start to pre-season, the Whites came away from their first encounter against Manchester United with a goalless draw that will have provided a platform to build on as they sharpen up for the new campaign.

Speaking after the match, Farke confirmed Patrick Bamford isn’t in Leeds United’s plans this term, signalling that he is ready to take ruthless decisions to streamline his squad.

He explained: “With Patrick (Bamford), I had a really open and honest conversation. I would have preferred a completely fit Patrick Bamford in the last two seasons. He knows how much I rate him as a person.

“It was the second day of pre-season when I told him in my office that he wasn’t part of my plans for the upcoming Premier League season, due to the fact that he’s had really difficult years over the past few years.”

Sean Longstaff has recently arrived at Leeds United for £12 million to add another layer of top-flight quality to their engine room. Meanwhile, Farke is also plotting a move to hijack Marseille’s pursuit of versatile Juventus forward Timothy Weah.

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Deals are beginning to multiply at Elland Road, with Hoffenheim midfielder Anton Stach seemingly the latest arrival at the Whites after Fabrizio Romano delivered his famous ‘here we go’ tagline to signal that he will come in to bolster the ranks.

Now, Leeds have made contact for a Premier League forward that they have been reportedly interested in tempting to Yorkshire.

Leeds United make contact to sign Marc Guiu on loan

According to a report from Transferfeed, Leeds United have made contact to sign Chelsea forward Marc Guiu on loan after previously looking to sign the youngster before he moved to Stamford Bridge from Barcelona.

Marc Guiu in Chelsea training.

Despite a lack of minutes last term, the 19-year-old scored six times in 16 appearances across all competitions, with his tally coming entirely in the Europa Conference League.

Marc Guiu in the Europa Conference League (Fotmob)

Shots

19

Shots on target

12

Touches in opposition box

31

Chances created

4

Successful dribbles

4

Labelled “exquisite” by Joe Cole, he was also compared to Luis Suarez by the former England international, who stated off the back of his goal against Astana last December: “Marc Guiu must have watched Luis Suarez as a young man at Barcelona.”

Expectedly, any prospect of Guiu moving on this summer may depend on whether Nicolas Jackson is sold by Chelsea amid interest from elsewhere in the Senegal international.

Ultimately, Leeds are in need of a striker and the Granollers-born star could be an ideal solution to add some firepower ahead of an exciting campaign back in the big time.

Amorim may now urge Man Utd chiefs to sign £85m Club World Cup "machine"

Already impressed by his performance at the Club World Cup, Ruben Amorim could now reportedly urge INEOS to sign a midfield star for Manchester United who has a release clause worth a hefty £85m.

Man Utd discover brutal first 5 Premier League games

As the transfer window rumbles on, the big talking point this week has come away from potential incomings and to next season’s Premier League fixtures. Officially announced Wednesday morning, Manchester United have now discovered their fate alongside the rest of their rivals and, for the Red Devils, that fate may well be a start full of frustration.

Man Utd’s First 5 Premier League Games

Date

Manchester United vs Arsenal

17/08/2025

Fulham vs Manchester United

23/08/2025

Manchester United vs Burnley

30/08/2025

Manchester City vs Manchester United

13/09/2025

Manchester United vs Chelsea

20/09/2025

On paper, Amorim’s side have the toughest Premier League start, but that could quickly turn into a positive if they manage to navigate what would be an excellent start.

The pressure will certainly be on Amorim to finally get the best out of his side too. INEOS have already backed him by signing Matheus Cunha and it looks as though they’re likely to do the same by signing Bryan Mbuemo. But even then, the incomings may be far from over.

The likes of Hugo Ekitike have also found themselves in the headlines as of late. The Eintracht Frankfurt striker has been linked with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United already this summer and he could yet have a crucial decision to make.

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2

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Whilst Frankfurt value the Frenchman at around €100m (£85m), recent reports have claimed that United are open to finding a way past this price tag by offering Joshua Zirkzee or Rasmus Hojlund in a player-plus-cash swap deal.

Landing Ekitike for a cheaper transfer fee could then open the door for another fresh face and this time a midfielder who is already impressing on the big stage this summer.

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Amorim could urge Man Utd to sign Richard Rios

According to GiveMeSport, Amorim could now urge Manchester United chiefs to sign Richard Rios this summer after being left impressed by his Club World Cup form. The Red Devils have already sent scouts to watch the Palmeiras midfielder and are continuing to track his progress ahead of a potential move in the coming months.

The deal, like Ekitike, Cunha and Mbeumo, won’t come cheap, however, amid reports that Rios has a release clause worth as much as £85m in his current Palmeiras deal.

A player who analyst Ben Mattinson described as a “ball-carrying machine” in 2023, Rios has only improved ever since and is now ready for the European move that Manchester United could offer him this summer.

Ajer 2.0: Celtic make enquiry to sign "imposing" £5m titan

Celtic are brilliant at signing and developing young players before selling them on for profit on the future, as evidenced by the stars they have sold over the years.

As recently as January, the Scottish Premiership champions raked in a reported fee of £10m for Japan international centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi from Rennes, yet he does not even place within the top sales in the club’s history.

Kieran Tierney

£25m

Matt O’Riley

£25m

Jota

£25m

Moussa Dembele

£20m

Odsonne Edouard

£18.5m

Kristoffer Ajer

£13.5m

Virgil van Dijk

£13m

As you can see in the table above, the likes of Jota, Matt O’Riley, and Kieran Tierney have all been sold for more than twice as much, the latest of which was O’Riley’s move to Brighton last summer.

Two of those players are also now back at Parkhead. Jota returned to Glasgow from Rennes on a permanent deal in January, whilst Tierney has joined on a free transfer from Arsenal, six years on from his move to the Premier League.

These are some of the top examples of players who have thrived in the Premiership for Celtic before making the club millions by moving elsewhere, and a great example of their brilliant recruitment work is central defender Kristoffer Ajer.

Celtic hit the jackpot with Kristoffer Ajer

In February 2016, the Scottish giants paid a reported fee of just £650k to sign the centre-back after a trial spell at Parkhead from Norwegian side Start.

The Hoops identified the young defender as a promising talent at the age of just 17, and were patient with him before they introduced the starlet to the first-team.

Former Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer.

Ajer spent time in the academy, playing youth league football, before being sent out on loan to Kilmarnock in the Premiership, before his emergence as a senior option for Celtic in the 2017/18 campaign.

The towering youngster then went on to score seven goals and provide seven assists in 176 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops before his exit in the summer of 2021.

February 2016

£650k reported fee

February 2017

£680k

August 2018

£1m

August 2019

£2.5m

January 2021

£3.4m

June 2021

£6m

July 2021

£13.5m reported fee

As you can see in the table above, Ajer’s market value soared way beyond the initial £650k that the Hoops reportedly paid Start to sign him as a 17-year-old.

In the summer of 2021, Premier League side Brentford reportedly paid a fee of £13.5m to sign the centre-back, breaking their own transfer record, which represented a huge profit for Celtic.

This shows that the Scottish giants hit the jackpot with the young defender as they identified his potential at an incredibly young age and went on to benefit from it with performances on the pitch and a huge fee when he left.

Celtic enquire about deal for teenage star

Celtic could find their next version of Kristoffer Ajer this summer amid reported interest in another 17-year-old centre-back prospect to bolster their squad.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Mozzart Sport, as relayed by B92, Celtic are interested in a deal to sign Red Star Belgrade central defender Veljko Milosavljević in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Hoops have already made an enquiry about the 17-year-old starlet, and made an offer of £5m that was turned down by the Serbian outfit.

It adds that two teams from England are also eyeing up the young centre-back, but they have yet to make any official bids for his services as of yet.

Red Star Belgrade are said to want more than £5m that Celtic put on the table for the teenage titan, although the report does not mention exactly how much they would want for him.

Why Celtic should sign Veljko Milosavljević

The Hoops should sign the Serbian youngster before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September because he has the potential to be Ajer 2.0 at Parkhead.

Whilst he would not arrive for a cheap fee of £650k, given that they have already had an offer of £5m turned down for him, the Red Star talent would arrive as another teenage centre-back with the potential to develop and improve, therefore growing in value in the future.

Former Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer.

Despite not turning 18 till this weekend, the Celtic target has already played 19 first-team matches for the Serbian giants, and established himself as a regular in the league in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

Milosavljević initially caught the eye in the Serbian youth league, winning 11.8 duels per game across eight starts in the division, before being made a permanent member of Vladan Milojevic’s first-team squad.

Appearances

14

Starts

11

Pass accuracy

90%

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.2

Dribbled past per game

0.2x

Error led to shot

0

Error led to goal

0

Penalties committed

0

As you can see in the table above, the teenage talent started 11 of his 14 outings for the Superliga champions, as the centre-back showed that he could compete in a team that was chasing the league title.

Milosavljević, who scout Gianni Bellasi described as a “physically imposing” defender, proved himself to be a reliable option at the back, despite his inexperience, with zero errors that led to shots, goals, or penalties.

That is particularly impressive when you consider that Liam Scales made two such errors and Auston Trusty made five such errors in the Premiership for Celtic this season, in a title-winning side for Brendan Rodgers.

This shows that it is not easy to play a lot of games without making costly mistakes as a centre-back in a dominant team, given the nature of how much they look to play out from the back, but the Serbian star has shown promise in that respect.

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Therefore, Milosavljević could follow in Ajer’s footsteps at Parkhead if Celtic sign him this summer because he is a 17-year-old centre-back talent who has shown that he has the qualities to be a reliable figure at the back if he can adapt to Scottish football.

Of course, there are no guarantees in football and there is no telling exactly how he will develop, but his career to date suggests that the potential is there for him to be an exciting signing for the Hoops.

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