All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag is close to making another signing and the player in question is set to travel to England to finalise his move to Old Trafford, according to reports.

Who are Man United linked with?

In truth, the Red Devils have endured a little bit of a strange window as they aim to bring additional depth into the building at Old Trafford to supplement the squad.

As per Transfermarkt, Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund have all joined the club and look likely to be key players over the coming seasons for Manchester United; however, there is a growing sense of frustration that they may need more depth to compete on both domestic and European fronts properly.

Nevertheless, problems with being able to shift players off the books has harmed their ability to solicit further arrivals. Football Insider report that Ten Hag is keen to strengthen both his defensive line and midfield options before the close of play in the market, though player sales will need to occur to make this a reality.

It had previously been hoped that selling Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay to West Ham United could provide the 'requisite' financial gain needed to put the finishing touches to their business; nevertheless, both deals have since collapsed and complicated matters for Ten Hag.

ESPN claim that Manchester United are also eyeing a goalkeeper to help bolster depth in the last line of defence, but similarly, the outlet indicate that player sales will be necessary to initiate market activity.

Matej Kovar and Nathan Bishop have been sold to Bayer Leverkusen and Sunderland, respectively. Red Devils number two Dean Henderson could depart to either Crystal Palace or Nottingham Forest before the end of the window, while veteran stopper Tom Heaton is carrying an injury, signifying that Manchester United need to bring in another goalkeeper imminently.

Which goalkeeper are Man United signing?

According to Haber Turk via Sport Witness, Manchester United and Fenerbache have reached an agreement with goalkeeper Altay Bayindir for a fee in the region of €7 million (£5.9 million).

The report states that Bayindir travelled to Greece to complete a medical examination ahead of his move to Old Trafford and he will very soon land in England to officially join Manchester United.

Previously, The Athletic journalist David Ornstein reported that Bayindir had undergone a pre-medical due to an injury issue as Manchester United continued to mull over the 25-year-old, but it looks as if things have gone smoothly on that front and the deal will now go through.

Spending most of his career at Turkish giants Fenerbache, Bayindir has managed to rack up 145 appearances in all competitions, keeping 44 clean sheets in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Bayindir made 57 saves in total over the duration of last campaign in the Super Lig and maintained a save percentage of 66.7% in the Turkish top flight, as shown on FBRef. Football Scout Jacek Kulig labelled Bayindir as "one of the most interesting U-23 goalkeepers in Europe" back in 2021 and it is easy to see why Manchester United are keen to bring him to the North West.

In light of their dearth of options in the goalkeeper position, Bayindir could be a good fit for Ten Hag and would be able to deputise for Onana.

Leeds United are interested in signing Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara in the summer transfer window, according to an update from reliable journalist Graham Smyth.

How much does Leeds target Glen Kamara earn?

The 27-year-old, who currently earns £21,000 per week, has been an excellent servant for Rangers since arriving at Ibrox from Dundee in 2019. He has made 193 appearances for the Scottish Premiership giants, proving to be an influential performer in the middle of the park.

Kamara also has plenty of success to show for his four-year stay with the Gers, winning the league title under Steven Gerrard back in 2020/21, and also tasting Scottish Cup glory the following season. He has been named Finland's Footballer of the Year in the past too, having won 52 caps for his country.

The midfielder may still be contracted to Rangers until the summer of 2025, but it could be that he is looking for a new challenge before the 2023/24 season gets started, having possibly outgrown the club.

With Leeds preparing for life back in the Championship for the first time since 2019/20, it looks as though the Finn could potentially be on his way to Elland Road.

Could Leeds sign Kamara this summer?

According to The Yorkshire Evening Post's Smyth, Kamara is seen as the next possible addition after the deal for Ethan Ampadu is completed:

"Leeds have high hopes of retaining central midfielder Tyler Adams this summer but need to bolster the middle of the pitch regardless.

"Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara is another potential target they have been assessing in recent weeks. The 27-year-old Finnish international looks set to depart Ibrox this summer and has a number of interest clubs eyeing him."

Kamara could be a perfect summer addition for Leeds, coming in as a player with a huge amount of experience and both club and international level. Signing both him and Ampadu would immediately make the Whites look strong in midfield, enhancing their hopes of a quickfire return to the Premier League. Keeping hold of Adams would only help further, in that respect.

At 27, the Rangers hero is at a great age to come in and make a different from the off, having completed 89.4% of his passes in the Scottish Premiership last season, and also chipped in with 20 goal contributions (nine goals and 11 assists) down the years, despite his fairly defence-minded nature as a player.

Gerrard descibed Kamara as both a "class act" and "superb" during his time as Gers boss, with such praise from a high-profile and legendary figure in the game further outlining what a good footballer the Finland international is, and how he could aid Leeds' promotion push in 2023/24.

The lure of moving to England could be too great to turn down for Kamara, especially as he will be aware that he could even be preparing to play Premier League football this time next year, should the Whites excel under Daniel Farke from the off, and return to the top flight in no time at all.

Chelsea are attempting to complete a major midfield overhaul before their opening game of the season against Liverpool on Sunday.

The Blues have been relentlessly chasing Moises Caicedo all summer, and it is understood that talks have progressed well this week.

Last night, the 2021 Champions League winners submitted a £48m bid for Romeo Lavia and will await to see how Southampton proceed.

However, a storyline that has massively swooped under the radar is their interest is Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

What’s the latest on Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea?

According to the Guardian, Chelsea have been linked with the 24-year-old gem, but Leicester City do not want to sell the midfielder.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

Reputable journalist Simon Phillips provided an update on the situation, stating that contact with his agent has occurred. The player is reportedly ‘happy’ to stay at the King Power Stadium and help them get back to the Premier League, but if the west Londoners accelerate their attempts to sign the midfielder, he’s ‘likely to want the move.’

Phillips also revealed that ‘at least’ eight top-flight sides are keenly tracking Dewsbury-Hall, including Liverpool, who similarly Chelsea, are prioritising midfield reinforcements.

Would Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall be a good signing for Chelsea?

Since making his Premier League debut in August 2021, the £20k-per-week livewire has established himself as one of Leicester’s most consistent and effervescent assets.

During this time, he has become renowned for his intoxicating energy, industrious work-rate and intricate dribbling. Over the past 365 days, compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the tenacious engine ranks within the top 12% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, as well as the best 1% for blocks per 90.

Ahead of Leicester’s unenviable task of targeting promotion, Dewsbury-Hall has already emphatically demonstrated that he is a key performer for Enzo Maresca. In the first game against Coventry, the 5 foot 10 dynamo netted twice in a 2-1 comeback victory with a towering header and a ferocious strike that nestled in the top corner.

He also completed three key passes, five accurate long balls, two tackles, and won 80% of his duels, as per Sofascore.

This performance generated huge praise from opposition manager Mark Robins, who said Dewsbury-Hall could be “one of the best players at this level” this season.

When assessing his style of play, Brendan Rodgers summarised it by saying:

“He is very honest to the game. He has great industry. He runs, works and presses, and he has quality. As a No 8, his job is to create goals and score goals. He’s made a real impact with his honesty and quality.”

As a hybrid between a box-to-box midfielder and an advanced eight, Mauricio Pochettino could develop Dewsbury-Hall in the same manner that Christian Eriksen gloriously flourished under the Argentine coach.

In 255 appearances under Pochettino in North London, the Dane was scintillating, recording 134 goal involvements.

Eriksen’s role was particularly important, acting as the link between the ruthless attacking triumvirate of Harry Kane, Dele Alli, and Son Heung-min, and the formidable defensive pivot of Moussa Dembele and Victor Wanyama.

In the Argentine's current Chelsea set-up, Dewsbury-Hall, who has been described as “top-class” by Rodgers, could be afforded a similar role, whilst providing more defensive stability.

The next step of Dewsbury-Hall’s career is to pinpoint some elusive output, which could be unlocked in an exciting new era for the Blues.

Newcastle United are actively looking for new additions who can improve their already impressive squad this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of a potential transfer target.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Federico Chiesa?

According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport (via Sport Witness), Newcastle are competing with Liverpool for the signature of Juventus winger, Federico Chiesa.

As per the report, both Premier League clubs are monitoring the player's situation with the Serie A giants, as it is claimed that Chiesa is one of the assets that could be moved on to bolster funds and invest in Max Allegri's tactical philosophy – a 3-5-2 set-up that is ill-suited for the forward.

How good is Federico Chiesa?

There is no doubt that Chiesa is a talented forward who could be a revelation at St James' Park if he could emulate his impressive output in the Premier League, however, his injury record casts a dark cloud over his undeniable ability.

During the 2022/23 campaign alone, the Italy international – hailed a "wizard" by Liverpool insider DaveOCKOP – has had seven separate injury and fitness issues amounting to 75 days in recovery which left him unavailable for selection in 14 fixtures for the Old Lady, which follows almost an entire year out of action due to an ACL injury sustained in January 2022.

As a result, Howe could be heading for an absolute howler if Chiesa is brought in as a replacement for Allan Saint-Maximin, as the Frenchman has a similar problem with injuries and has been an unreliable option in the forward line when needed.

Saint-Maximin – who has been recently speculated for an exit from Newcastle this summer – had four spells on the sidelines over last season; tallying up 81 days out of action and missing 13 fixtures for the North East club, demonstrating a similar recent injury record to Chiesa.

The signing of Chiesa would indeed pose risk on his availability and Howe will need to look at their options when considering whether the Italian's impressive output, versatility and experience in the Champions League will be a valuable asset that outweighs his troubling fitness record.

Over 287 club appearances so far, the 25-year-old Euro 2020 winner has scored 67 goals and registered 49 assists, with a goal contribution every 174 minutes.

Not only that, Chiesa ranks in the top 25% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for shots on goal, assists, progressive carries, successful take-ons, tackles and blocks, proving that he is one of the top all-action wingers in Europe over the last 12 month, as per FBref.

The Magpies are also extremely conscious of their Financial Fair Play constraints and with Chiesa commanding a reported fee of €60m (£51m) this summer, it would be a substantial investment for the club to commit to, that would see them edge closer to reaching their financial limits at present.

With that being said, there is no doubt that Chiesa would bring huge quality to the Tynesiders, but when considering his price tag and availability there may be other options worth investing in this summer.

When the transfer window opens, and football fanatics take up their summer internship as detectives, nothing gets past them. Flights are tracked, quotes followed, and social media activity is monitored like it's 24-hour CCTV. Where there is a transfer clue, there will be a supporter on the case.

The latest discovery has been about the future of Liverpool midfielder Fabinho. According to David Ornstein, the Brazilian is set to be the subject of a £40m bid from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad this summer.

Supporters were quick to get on the case to find any clues about his potential transfer decision, too, leading them to what could be a major indication as to where Fabinho will be plying his trade next season.

Liverpool fans spot potential Fabinho transfer clue

Amid the rumours linking him with a move away, Liverpool fans took to Fabinho's social media, and Rebeca Tavares' – the midfielder's wife – in an attempt to spot any clues.

On her personal Instagram account – as shared on Reddit – it was discovered that Tavares is following an Instagram account called 'welcomesaudi', amid reports linking her husband with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer.

It's safe to say this looks fairly suspicious to say the least…

Considering the recent Instagram activity of his partner, fans hoping for the 29-year-old to stay put in the current transfer window may just have to prepare themselves for the worst.

What's the latest on Liverpool and Fabinho?

Liverpool looked set to enter pre-season without any major recent departures just yet – although Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left at the start of the summer – and with some much-needed midfield reinforcements too following the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

An unexpected twist means that they could be set to lose both Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia this summer, however.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Henderson has accepted a contract proposal from Al-Ettifaq, who recently hired Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. It will now be down to the negotiations between the Reds and the Saudi Arabia club as to whether the move takes place for the 33-year-old.

Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad are reportedly set to bid for Fabinho, with a deal likely to progress quickly whether it is a swift rejection or completion of the transfer.

Suddenly, Klopp would find himself short on options in the middle of the park, perhaps forced to turn to the transfer market again. And that's where Romeo Lavia could come in.

As per Ornstein, the Southampton midfielder is among their list of targets if Fabinho departs this summer. Romano previously reported that the Saints value the teenager at £50m, but it remains to be seen what Liverpool would actually be willing to pay.

So, with that said, if the Brazilian did decide to leave in the coming weeks, it would start quite the domino effect of transfers.

A new-look midfield of Lavia, Mac Allister, and Szoboszlai may lack experience when compared with what Klopp had in midfield before, but what it lacks in that department, it makes up for in excitement.

With the new Premier League season approaching, how Liverpool line-up on the opening day of the season against Chelsea will certainly be an interesting one, to say the least.

Leicester City may have strengthened well this summer as they gear up for a charge towards promotion, but their most impressive investment was improving the infrastructure of their academy.

In 2020, the Foxes unveiled their stunning £100m training complex, boasting 21 training areas, 14 full-size training pitches and a 499-seater pitch for youth team matches.

The purpose of this investment is to discover the biggest young talents and unearth the next Ben Chilwell, Harvey Barnes and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who are the most successful graduates from the academy in recent years, with the former two earning big money moves to Chelsea and Newcastle while Dewsbury-Hall is currently a vital cog in Enzo Maresca's winning machine.

Kasey McAteer was the latest academy star to burst onto the scene this season, becoming a revelation down the right wing for the Foxes, scoring three goals in four Championship appearances.

While McAteer is now one of the most exciting young prospects in the second tier, there is another who is looking to follow in his footsteps and that is forward Amani Richards.

Who is Amani Richards?

Richards may be just 18-years-old, but he is already making a name for himself in the Midlands for his impressive attacking displays in the youth sides.

The highly-rated youngster was poached from Arsenal's youth academy in January 2022 and the Gunners could live to rue the decision to let him go.

Operating down the right flank or as a striker, Richards became one of the most tantalising young prospects in the U18s setup, chalking up an eye-watering 24 goal contributions in 36 appearances and has since translated that form into the U2's after making the step-up this season.

He even came back to haunt his old club in their U18 meeting with Arsenal in March, scoring both goals for the Foxes in a 2-1 win as scouts from Newcastle and Brentford gazed their eyes on the sensational teen, and would have been in awe of his talents.

The teenage prodigy is garnering attention from a whole host of clubs and that attention is only going to be heightened after beginning his U21 campaign with one goal and three assists in his first four appearances.

With Leicester keen to extend his contract which currently expires in 2024, he's a player they can ill afford to let go given the high ceiling he possesses.

Who could Richards replace at Leicester?

Leicester's attacking output has largely come from wide areas this season with wingers McAteer and Stephy Mavididi scoring five goals between them, shouldering the responsibility in place of the misfiring Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho.

While Vardy opened the scoring against Southampton inside 21 seconds, that was his first Championship goal of the season and with the Englishman seeing his output decline rapidly in recent years, Maresca will need someone to replace him in the near future.

The 36-year-old only mustered up three goals in the top flight last term, which is a barometer for how quickly he's dropped from the peak of his powers, having reached double digits for goals in eight of the last nine seasons prior, winning the Golden Boot in the 2019/20 season.

With Vardy reaching the tail end of his career, someone has to deliver consistent returns in his place and as evidenced by the performances of Iheanacho this season, he isn't likely to produce the goals that Leicester need.

Instead, Maresca could turn to his academy and unearth the exciting and skilful Richards, providing his side with the baptism of fire they need in a similar vein to McAteer.

Liverpool's need for midfield reinforcements in no secret, even after they overcame the odds to defeat Newcastle United at St James' Park and extend their unbeaten run to start the season to three Premier League games.

The Reds were, of course, on their way to a fairly successful transfer window, with the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia threw a spanner in the works.

Since then, they have welcomed Wataru Endo, but it could be argued that a more high-profile name is still needed.

With that said, though, the club have reportedly ruled out signing one particular midfielder.

What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?

As the summer transfer window edges closer and closer to slamming shut, Liverpool are scrambling for the extra reinforcements needed to ensure that Jurgen Klopp has a side capable of returning to the Premier League's top four, after missing out last season.

The name at the forefront of their current list of targets seems to be Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch, who the Bavarians could reportedly soften their stance on in the coming days.

As Gravenberch rises to the top of Liverpool's list, however, it is Sofyan Amrabat who has reportedly been ruled out altogether.

According to Manchester Evening News, who were reporting on Manchester United and Liverpool's interest in Amrabat, the Reds have clarified that they will not be making a move for the Fiorentina man this summer.

This news comes at a time when Amrabat has been frozen out at the Serie A club, with La Viola dropping the Morroco international from both first-team games, and training until his future is resolved, as per Fabrizio Romano.

Should Liverpool sign Sofyan Amrabat?

Liverpool's stance on Amrabat is a surprising one, given their need for midfielders, and Fiorentina's reported price-tag of just €30m (£25.6m) this summer.

Statistically speaking, too, the Moroccan would be an upgrade on the options that Klopp waved goodbye to this summer.

According to FBref, Amrabat outperformed Henderson in some key areas throughout the previous campaign.

Player

Progressive Carries Per 90

Blocks

Pass Completion Rate

Tackles Won

Sofyan Amrabat

1.62

23

88.8%

24

Jordan Henderson

1.61

21

83%

23

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old earned plenty of praise during the 2022 World Cup, as he helped Morroco to reach the semi-final stage, in the surprise of the tournament.

Alan Shearer praised the midfielder, saying on BBC's Match of The Day, via the Liverpool Echo: "He gets it and then he can feed the ball in, and you can see him go back there. He’ll be reluctant to get forward as he wants to protect, he’ll want to do that.

"He really enjoys that and he’s really good at that – ‘get off the ball, I’m having it’ – and he’s setting his team forward. He’s been key. He does that, he protects, he can get out there and help his full-backs, and that’s what he’s in that role to do – to stop, and be a spoiler – he’s excellent at it. Then he drives forward and they’re on their way. He’s been magnificent, he really has."

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Nonetheless, despite the praise and the stats, Liverpool reportedly remain unlikely to push ahead for Amrabat's signature this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur may have been on the end of a wrong decision as an image has emerged showing they perhaps should have been playing against 10 men.

The Lowdown: Spurs fail to impress once again

Spurs can have no excuses last night about being dumped out of the FA Cup embarrassingly by Championship side Sheffield United as the Blades put up a good fight and even squandered a huge chance in the first half.

Christian Stellini decided to bench star striker Harry Kane last night and when he came on he did very little to impact the game apart from missing a free header late into the second half.

However, some Tottenham fans may well be fuming that John Brooks didn’t make the pretty obvious decision to send off George Baldock for his late and reckless challenge on Ivan Perisic.

The Latest: Refereeing decision may have changed the game

Brooks clearly thought that Baldock didn’t make sufficient contact with Perisic as he didn’t even award Baldock a yellow card which is quite crazy judging by the image below.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-4/” title=”Tottenham latest news” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/cropped-tottenham-fans.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The score was indeed all square at the time of this tackle and many will know that if Spurs were playing against a Championship side and held a numerical advantage then it would have been a major shock for them to not progress into the quarter-final.

The Verdict: A clear red card ignored

We believe that this challenge is deserved of a red card. The Sheffield United player clearly has his studs showing and foot raised high enough to make contact with the shin area, as well as flying into the tackle at force which endangers the Tottenham man.

While Tottenham can have no gripes about the result and performance with Stellini even claiming some of his players lacked the energy required to win, this decision could have changed their season.

If Tottenham had ended up playing against 10 men for the majority of the game then many would have fully expected them to progress into the next round and then they’re one win away from Wembley and just two away from a final in May.

However, Spurs have now been dumped out of the FA Cup, have no chance of winning the Premier League by sitting 15 points off top spot, face an uphill battle against AC Milan in the Champions League as they head into the second leg 1-0 down and look set for yet another trophyless season.

Derby County are thought to be in talks to sign Sheffield Wednesday striker Michael Smith, according to Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett.

What’s the latest Derby transfer news?

The Rams and Paul Warne have been busy in the transfer market ahead of the manager’s first full season in charge at Pride Park, which begins this afternoon at home to Wigan Athletic.

In total, seven new players have arrived at the club in Curtis Nelson, Callum Elder, Joe Ward, Sonny Bradley, Josh Vickers, Conor Washington and Kane Wilson.

More could be on the way, though, with the domestic deadline not set to close until September 1. Another new forward appears to be on the agenda for Derby and Warne, with Smith, who has scored two goals against the Rams during his career, a target.

Senior Sky Sports reporter Dorsett took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share news on Derby’s search for a striker. He said that the Rams are in talks over a move for Smith and are also interested in free agent and former forward Martyn Waghorn.

“#dcfc and #blackpoolfc both interested in a deal for free agent Martyn Waghorn, who left #ccfc in May. Derby also in talks with #swfc over Michael Smith, and unlikely to sign two strikers, so Blackpool hopeful they can steal a march with Waghorn.”

Dorsett then added a further update on the pair, with Smith appearing to be the key target.

“Slight tweak: #dcfc MAY sign two strikers, but #Blackpoolfc hoping to sneak a deal with Waghorn while the Rams focus is primarily on Smith.”

Who is Michael Smith?

Smith is an out-and-out centre-forward who has plied his trade from a number of Football League clubs over the years. The 31-year-old came through the ranks at Darlington and has gone on to play for Charlton Athletic, Accrington Stanley, Newport County, Colchester United, AFC Wimbledon, Swindon Town, Barnsley, Portsmouth, Northampton Town, Bury, Rotherham United and Sheffield Wednesday.

In total, the striker has made 70 appearances in League Two, 257 in League One and 89 in the Championship. Smith has scored 113 goals in the Football League and has registered 38 assists.

Smith was hailed as a “game-changer” by former Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore following his performance in an FA Cup win over Mansfield Town last season, who said:

“Michael Smith is a game-changer today. The quality showed at the end of it, and that’s what Michael is. He was in the right place at the right time and that’s what quality strikers do.”

He appears to be a proven third-tier forward who has netted 34 times in the division over the past two seasons, helping Rotherham and Wednesday to promotion.

Therefore, Smith seems to be a smart target for Warne, and who knows, he could look to make it three in a row with Derby, should a transfer go through.

Derby currently have Washington and James Collins as their centre-forward options, so Smith would provide a proven and experienced third option, making this a deal to watch over the coming days.

Celtic majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and the rest of the board have backed Brendan Rodgers in the summer transfer window so far.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

The Hoops chiefs have splashed the cash to bring in five new signings for the Northern Irish tactician, who returned to the club last month to replace Ange Postecoglou after the Australian manager's move to Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Australia international Marco Tilio and Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm were his first two additions and they have since been joined by South Korean duo Hyeok-kyu Kwon and Hyun-jun Yang, alongside Polish central defender Maik Nawrocki.

Whilst there is still just over a month to go until the deadline passes, Rodgers could potentially avoid the need to dip into the market for further reinforcements by utilising the academy set-up.

One player who has caught the eye with his performances for the B-team of later is versatile attacker Bruno Davidson, who could be a dream heir to Daizen Maeda at Parkhead.

How many goals did Bruno Davidson score last season?

The 19-year-old talent scored a respectable six goals in 26 Lowland League matches for the Hoops academy side during the 2022/23 campaign.

He racked up six goals and six assists in 29 domestic outings and has scored once in two league games so far this season for the B-team.

This means that the exciting wizard has recorded a direct goal contribution once every 2.38 domestic clashes on average since the start of last term.

His form caught the eye in Canada last year as journalist Joshua Kloke claimed he was "causing some buzz" due to his dual eligibility to play for the North American side. Despite this, he has only been called up by Scotland at U17 level so far.

The teenage maestro is also yet to be handed his first-team bow by the Bhoys to date and has not been given an opportunity to showcase his talent on the professional stage.

Maeda, who can play anywhere across the front three, produced 11 goals and seven assists in 49 competitive games for Celtic last season, which included eight strikes and five assists in 31 Scottish Premiership outings.

The Japan international was directly involved in a goal every 2.72 appearances on average for the Hoops. He is not a prolific scorer or consistent creator but is able to chip in at the top end of the pitch on a semi-regular basis.

Davidson, who has been deployed on both flanks and through the middle as a number ten, has showcased similar qualities as a versatile winger for the B-team, as shown by his aforementioned statistics.

Of course, there is no guarantee that he will be able to translate his form over to a first-team setting but the potential is there for him to take the next step if Rodgers offers an opportunity.

Davidson's emergence as a senior option would alleviate the need for the club to go into the market to splash out millions on a new attacker, which is why using the academy to unearth talent can be a cost-effective and pleasing way of adding to the squad for supporters who want to see homegrown players flourish.