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Jurgen Klopp is spoiled for choice from an offensive perspective, but the defence desperately requires strengthening ahead of the 2023-24 campaign

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admitted on the eve of Wednesday's friendly with Bayern Munich that "it's no secret that we're still looking for new players to join us" – and the priority right now is wrapping up a deal for Romeo Lavia.

And that's perfectly understandable. Following the shock sales of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Pro League clubs, Liverpool have only one remaining No.6 on their books – 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic, who has only just returned from the injury that prematurely ended his 2022-23 campaign. The Reds simply cannot go into the new season, which gets underway next week, without at least one more defensive midfielder.

The Lavia deal is also a matter of urgency because Chelsea remain very interested in the Southampton starlet and are being frustrated by Brighton in their attempts to sign Moises Caicedo. It is only right, then, that Liverpool are primarily focused on agreeing a fee for Lavia as soon as possible.

However, the Reds are also facing a race against time to bring in a new centre-back – preferably one that can play on the left-hand side – before their Premier League opener at Chelsea on August 13.

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  Liverpool can't get burned again at the back

  Few clubs are more acutely aware of the need for defensive strength in depth, given the way in which Liverpool's Premier League title defence in 2020-21 was completely undermined by injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

  Even with most of their central defenders fully fit last season, Liverpool looked dreadfully vulnerable at the back, conceding 47 goals in the Premier League alone.

  Obviously, that poor defensive record was significantly impacted by the struggles of several midfielders, particularly Fabinho, the man regarded as Liverpool's lighthouse because of the way in which he had been dealing with danger for the previous four seasons. So, the acquisition of a highly promising player like Lavia should, in theory, alleviate Liverpool's defensive issues.

  Signing another centre-back is just as important, though, and the problem is that several of the players previously under consideration are no longer available.

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  Several targets no longer on the market

  Kim Min-jae, for example, has been snapped up by Bayern Munich, who activated the €50 million (£43m/$55m) buy-out clause in the South Korean's contract after his stellar season at Napoli. Arsenal, meanwhile, moved just as quickly to sign the wonderfully versatile Jurrien Timber from Ajax.

  Levi Colwill is still technically obtainable, but the England Under-21 international has agreed a new, long-term contract with Chelsea, who have also thus far resisted all attempts by Brighton to make the Blues academy product a part of a deal for Caicedo. Colwill would have been a dream signing for Liverpool – but there is no longer any chance of it becoming a reality.

  In addition, Josko Gvardiol, arguably the best young centre-back in the world and a former transfer target of Liverpool's, is apparently keen to sign for Manchester City. The only issue there is RB Leipzig are refusing to lower their €100 million (£86m/$110m) asking price. It's difficult, therefore, to imagine Liverpool being in a position to hijack that particular deal, much as Klopp would dearly love to add the Croatian to his back-line.

  So, what options do Liverpool have left available to them, with less than a month to go before the transfer window closes? GOAL runs through the leading contenders below…

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  Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton)

  Still only 21 years of age but Liverpool scouts spent plenty of time watching January signing from PSV Cody Gakpo during the first half of last season and were very impressed with Branthwaite's performances during his loan spell in Eindhoven.

  However, Everton would obviously do everything within their power to prevent Branthwaite, who can also play at left-back, becoming the first player to cross Stanley Park since Abel Xavier just over 20 years ago.

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  Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)

  Guehi favours his right foot but he has been regularly deployed on the left-hand side of the Crystal Palace defence, making him a viable option for Liverpool. He is, after all, a proven Premier League talent with four England caps to his name who has been previously linked with Arsenal.

  However, Crystal Palace are under no pressure to sell a very valuable asset who still has three years remaining on his current contract. It would take a massive bid to even get the Eagles to the negotiating table.

GOAL breaks down the Argentine's massive decision, how it came together and what it means for all involved

What was once a fantasy is now a formality. An event that was once a dream is now, finally, a reality. Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player of all time, is heading to Inter Miami. After all this time, all of the rumors and leaks and speculation, Messi has arrived.

It's still a weird sentence to write, despite all of the buildup that came before it. Messi's MLS arrival always felt like a pipedream, one that only the most hopeful of American soccer fans truly believed in. For some time, it felt like Inter Miami and MLS found themselves in the middle ground, unable to compete with the allure of European competition, the money of the Middle East and the romanticism of a South American return.

In the end, MLS found itself as the perfect marriage of all three. With his move stateside, Messi instantly becomes an American sports icon, the second coming of David Beckham and, perhaps, even bigger. It's only right that it is Beckham's club that inevitably became the club to lure Messi, igniting a new era of MLS led by one of the game's biggest titans.

So how did we get here and what does it all mean? GOAL has you covered with everything you need to know about Messi's big decision:

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  A move years in the making

  Back in 2020, Messi found himself at a crossroads for the first time in his career, with his Barcelona contract dwindling down. As we all know, he eventually decided to stay at Barca for one more season, but that summer showed the first signs of deterioration between the superstar and the only club he'd ever called home.

  The next summer, he was free to go wherever he wished. For the first time in his career, Messi was without a club. He, inevitably, made the move to Paris to sign with PSG, but that was the first sign of real hope for clubs outside of Catalunya.

  Over in MLS, the club best positioned to meet Messi's criteria has always been Inter Miami. For years, Miami has looked to build a team worthy of attracting the Argentine star. One of their initial big signings was Messi's long-time team-mate, Gonzalo Higuain, who spoke glowingly of his experience at the club as he approached retirement.

  Messi is fond of the area and often vacations in South Florida, a place that is a melting pot of North American and South American culture. The presence of Beckham only sweetened the deal, giving Messi a familiar face to work alongside should a deal ever get done.

  It wasn't Beckham, however, that was the key to getting a deal done, but rather his co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas. For years, the Mas brothers have been in close contact with Messi and his entourage, and the two have been cautiously optimistic that a deal could get done.

  "David and I have been working really hard, we have aspirations of bringing the best players here and Leo Messi is a generational player, arguably the best player of all time,” Mas told the back in 2021. “I am optimistic Messi will play in an Inter Miami shirt because I think it will complete the legacy of the greatest player in our generation and will meet with the ambitions of the owners of Inter Miami to build a world-class team.”

  In the end, Mas was right: Messi is coming. However, it took a hell of a lot of work to make it happen.

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  MLS moves heaven and earth

  The key thing to remember is that this deal doesn't just matter to Inter Miami, but to American soccer as a whole. A rising tide lifts all boats, as they say, and Messi's arrival is a tidal wave. Because of that, it took more than just the Mas brothers to get this done. It also took more than just MLS.

  According to , MLS' commercial partners Apple and adidas have played huge parts in sweetening the deal for Messi, and are perhaps the biggest reasons he's ultimately decided to come stateside.

  Apple, who became the home of all MLS matches when they signed a 10-year, multibillion-dollar deal this spring, reportedly offered Messi a share of revenue generated by new subscribers to MLS Season Pass, the league's home on Apple TV. Apple has also announced a docuseries with Messi separate from MLS, with that chronicling Messi's World Cup triumph this past fall.

  Messi's potential arrival would be massive for Apple, as the company's TV contract with MLS is a global deal. Therefore, fans around the world, not just in the U.S., would be able to follow Messi's MLS career with a subscription. Apple are more than willing to help, as Messi would bring countless eyeballs to their product. In the end, the reason Apple bet on MLS was because of something like this.

  adidas, meanwhile, is MLS' kit sponsor, and also Messi's longtime partner. says that Messi has been offered a profit-sharing deal by adidas, which would see the Argentine receive a cut of any increase in the company's profits as a result of his MLS arrival. It's hard to fathom how many pink Messi jerseys will be sold in the coming years. There likely won't be many more popular shirts in world soccer, and adidas, and Messi, would get a cut of each sale.

  Finally, MLS has long been expected to offer Messi a similar deal that the league did to Beckham, who used a clause in his initial contract to purchase the right to form Inter Miami in a cut-price deal worth only $25 million. Money is clearly not the only motivating factor for Messi, though, as he left a more lucrative option on the table.

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  The Saudi offer

  While MLS' financial package is sweet, no doubt, it pales in comparison to what Messi was reportedly offered to go to Saudi Arabia. Al-Hilal, one of four clubs to be recently taken over by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, reportedly made Messi an offer of over $400 million-per-year.

  The league has recently lured the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema with similarly massive deals, with the likes of N'Golo Kante and Sergio Ramos supposedly set to arrive soon, too

  Messi has had an affiliation with the country, having served as a tourism ambassador. He was suspended by PSG earlier this year for taking an unsanctioned trip to Saudi Arabia following a loss to Lorient. However, despite the tantalizing thought of Messi and Ronaldo renewing their rivalry, Messi has chosen MLS, where he can become a transcendent star.

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  Retirement league? Not quite!

  For years, MLS has looked to shift the 'retirement league' label that was placed upon it by the rest of the world. Over the last five years or so, the league has trended younger, with signings like Messi's World Cup team-mate, Thiago Almada, taking centerstage.

  However, there is still a place for familiar faces, with players like Lorenzo Insigne, Xherdan Shaqiri and Christian Benteke all joining over the last year or so. But none of those players are anywhere near Messi, both on or off the field.

  Messi may not fully be at the peak of his Barcelona powers, but there's still an argument to be made that he's a top-five player in the world. He's among the favorites to lift the Ballon d'Or later this year after almost-single-handedly lifting Argentina to World Cup glory. He also put up 21 goals and 20 assists for PSG in all competitions last season, giving him a goal involvement per game across his 41 appearances.

  That's what makes this move so compelling. This isn't Messi coasting through for one final paycheck. No, Messi still has his sights on the Copa America and the 2026 World Cup. The Argentine isn't retirement-ready, not in the slightest. He's still a superstar and, if history is any indication, he won't disappoint.

Some Wolves fans have been left to fume as a transfer update emerged involving Mbaye Diagne.

As per Football Insider, the Midlands club as well as Watford have joined the race to sign the Galatasaray striker, currently on loan at West Brom.

His current deal at the Turkish club runs out in 2023, meaning that this summer may present an opportunity for Gala to gain some value out of him through a potential sale.

At 29 years of age, Diagne’s best years are arguably behind him now, and a mere three goals in 15 games in total in the Premier League so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt) is certainly not a record to be proud of.

Thus, it may be an idea for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team to look for a younger, more prolific forward to aid Raul Jimenez in the goal-scoring department for next season, which is certainly what the fans we’ve gathered below think.

Wolves fans on Diagne transfer update

These members of the Molineux faithful fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter:

“Is Football Insider a wind-up merchant or a West Brom fan?”

Credit: @joe76192000

“Watford can have him”

Credit: @WWFCJoel

“Not the striker we need”

Credit: @SamCl0ver

“Average! Not good enough for Old Gold and Black!”

Credit: @xeno2480

“No thanks”

Credit: @jonno01543

“Raul, Silva and Mir should be our strikers and concentrate on other areas”

Credit: @harryvenner

In other news, find out whose first half display versus Brighton was slammed here!

The Lionesses became the first-ever winners of the Women's Finalissima by beating Brazil on penalties at a packed Wembley on Thursday night.

A superb team goal finished off by Ella Toone was the highlight of a fluid and entertaining first-half display from the European champions, the midfielder arriving in perfect time to slot home Lucy Bronze's cutback and give her side the lead.

Lauren Hemp had a good chance from a Lauren James cross but her header landed into the arms of Brazil goalkeeper Leticia, while James herself had the ball in the back of the net before the break, too, but was denied by the offside flag.

In the end, the Lionesses were made to pay for the missed chances as an uncharacteristic Mary Earps error in stoppage time led to Brazil levelling at the death through Andressa Alves' close-range finish.

Straight to penalties it went and it was there that England secured the win, with Earps making a fine save to deny Tamires, and Chloe Kelly putting away the winning spot-kick in style.

GOAL gives out ratings for an entertaining match below…

• Goalkeeper & Defence

  Mary Earps (6/10):

  Made a costly error at the end that allowed Brazil to equalise but made a huge save in the shootout to redeem herself.

  Lucy Bronze (8/10):

  Sublime down the right as she linked up with James. Assisted the opening goal and teed up the Chelsea winger beautifully for the strike that was ruled out for offside.

  Leah Williamson (6/10):

  Started a lot of England's attacks with her passing and was solid generally, bar a couple of shaky moments on the ball which were out of character but, fortunately for her, went unpunished.

  Alex Greenwood (6/10):

  Excellent in possession, defended well and delivered good set pieces all night.

  Jess Carter (6/10):

  Got the wrong side of Geyse in the first half but recovered to make a superb block and rarely put a foot wrong from there. Not as adventurous as Bronze on the opposite flank, but that's understandable given the contrast in how natural each are in the roles they played.

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  Midfield

  Keira Walsh (7/10):

  Dictated play brilliantly as per usual, offering a calming presence and quality on the ball in midfield.

  Georgia Stanway (7/10):

  Like Walsh next to her, she sprayed the ball around well and covered plenty of ground, almost adding a second for England but for a good save by Leticia.

  Ella Toone (7/10):

  Scored England's goal, popping up in the right place at the right time with one of her late midfield runs and finishing the chance with a touch of class, but missed her spot-kick.

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  Attack

  Lauren James (8/10):

  Electric down both wings. Linked up brilliantly with Bronze down the right and still created plenty down the left, too, with a terrific cross in particular for a Hemp header.

  Alessia Russo (5/10):

  Was managed well by Brazil's centre-backs and couldn't get into the game. Only real sight of goal was pulled up by the offside flag.

  Lauren Hemp (7/10):

  Started the game in a lively fashion and ended it very well, too. Should've scored from a James cross.

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  Subs & Manager

  Chloe Kelly (6/10):

  Was only on the pitch from the 74th minute but caused Brazil all sorts of problems with her directness on the ball. Netted the winning penalty and did so with some conviction.

  Rachel Daly (6/10):

  Came on at the same time as Kelly but was immediately a problem for Brazil's defence, making runs that both Hemp and Kelly did their best to find.

  Katie Robinson (N/A):

  Came on late after Hemp went off with a bloody nose. Didn't have time to make an impact.

  Sarina Wiegman (8/10):

  Wiegman remains unbeaten as England boss, the run now stretching to 30 games, and has added another trophy to the cabinet after the Lionesses triumphed at Euro 2022. There were selection headaches for her in this game with Millie Bright injured and three very good wingers, but she got all the calls right in a solid team that performed very well.

Former Everton defender Michael Ball has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Michael Keane and Yerry Mina’s lack of pace is causing his old side issues.

The Toffees have a decent defensive record in the Premier League this season and the £30m Keane and £27m Mina have been at the heart of that.

The two central defenders have both been regulars at the back under manager Carlo Ancelotti, trying to build a wall to aid Everton’s push for European football.

Ball, however, has his concerns with the central defensive partnership, believing it to be too slow. Speaking exclusively to FFC about the pairing, the retired full-back said:

“I think Everton’s failures this season is how deep we have played because of the lack of pace of Michael Keane and Yerry Mina.

They play very, very deep, which is ok to defend as a unit, but it makes it difficult for our midfield. And our lack of legs in midfield, other opposition teams can bully us in those areas and cause us a lot of problems.

“We’ve had to play so deep because of the lack of pace.”

If the above is a concern that Ancelotti also shares, then the Italian could look to address it by using the transfer market this summer.

According to the reliable Fabrizio Romano, signing a new centre-back before the start of next season is currently a priority for the Merseyside club.

The Portugal international is set to face his loan club with his temporary one in the Champions League quarter-finals after a tough 2023 to date

It has been quite the fall from grace for Joao Cancelo. Only six months ago, he was one of Manchester City's most important players, his long-term future at the club seemingly assured after signing a contract until 2027. Now, though, his short-term future is uncertain, as is his place in elite football.

Since Pep Guardiola sanctioned Cancelo's loan move to Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day at the end of January, his days at the Etihad Stadium have looked numbered.

And it is unclear whether he has a future at Bayern either after a stop-start spell in the team in which he has been dropped for crucial matches by both former coach Julian Nagelsmann and new manager Thomas Tuchel.

🏆 TOP STORY: Chelsea hold Gavi talks as Barca contract could be VOIDED

📣 HAVE YOUR SAY: Bayern the ONLY team who can stop Man City in the UCL

🚨 MUST READ: Lukaku not the answer to Chelsea's striker problem

With a £62 million price tag on his head and questions about his attitude laid bare by Guardiola's insistence on parting ways with him, a player who until recently was one of the top full-backs in the world now has no clear destination.

GOAL assesses where it went wrong for Cancelo and what he could do next…

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  A new contract and seeing off Zinchenko

  Cancelo ended last season as one of Man City's most influential players, starting 36 of their 38 Premier League games and making eight goal contributions (one goal and seven assists).

  He performed so well that he successfully saw off the challenge from Oleksandr Zinchenko, and the Ukrainian left City for Arsenal in the summer so as to find regular first-team football.

  Cancelo began this season where he had left off in the previous campaign, starting City's first 17 matches, and as usual he was in the thick of the action, scoring twice and getting four assists in his opening 12 games.

  His form dipped just as the World Cup approached, though, and he was sent off in the first half against Fulham, leaving City to scrape a 2-1 win with 10 men.

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  Marginalised after the World Cup

  After the World Cup, he barely featured at all.

  He was a second-half substitute in the 3-1 win at Leeds and an unused sub in the 1-1 draw at home to Everton, with Nathan Ake taking his spot at left-back.

  He did start the 1-0 win at Chelsea as a right wing-back, but was hooked at half-time. He was a second-half substitute against Chelsea in the FA Cup four days later.

  Cancelo did complete 90 minutes in two consecutive matches, but those were two of City's worst performances of the season, the dire Carabao Cup defeat at Southampton and the 2-1 derby loss at Manchester United.

  The latter game was Cancelo's last appearance before his loan move to Bayern, and may yet prove to be his final match in a City shirt.

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  'A difficult personality'

  While Guardiola stopped short of criticising Cancelo openly after the move to Bayern was agreed, he hinted that the full-back did not take kindly to being dropped.

  "After the World Cup, we made a pre-season and started to play in a different way in some patterns. I liked what I watched and I decided to give more time to players who I saw on the pitch who liked it," Guardiola explained.

  "Everyone has their own personality. He loves to play, he trains the best but he needs to play to be happy, so we decided together to let him go to Munich. He wants to play every game so hopefully that can happen in Munich."

  Cancelo appeared to confirm Guardiola's account when he opened up on his reasons for leaving City. “I think a player is always a bit selfish. Any player wants to feel important, wants to play and anyone who says otherwise is lying," Cancelo told Portuguese newspaper .

  "A competitive player, like me, who aspires to win titles, just wants to play. It’s not a question of devaluing my team-mates. But I thought I deserved to play and he didn’t.

  “So we talked, it was a conversation, not a discussion, and we decided that the best thing would be for me to leave in this window. An opportunity I couldn’t refuse. It was by mutual agreement. I’m very professional, I’ve always given my all for all the clubs. I have a difficult personality, yes, but I have never, at any time, disrespected team-mates or coaches.”

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  A false dawn but hints of a resurgence

  Cancelo made his Bayern debut in a DFB-Pokal tie against Mainz just one day after completing the loan move and had a strong first game in the Bundesliga at right-back, setting up a Kingsley Coman volley in the 4-2 win at Wolfsburg.

  But that proved to be a bit of a false dawn, as he was hauled off at half-time in the Champions League last-16 first leg at Paris Saint-Germain, with his replacement Alphonso Davies going on to set up the only goal.

  A difficult spell followed. He played only eight minutes against title rivals Union Berlin, and was an unused substitute against Stuttgart.

  In the second leg against PSG, he was only called upon for the final four minutes, though he did make the most of his little time on the pitch, flying forward from deep in his own half to set up Serge Gnabry's tie-clinching goal.

  That productive cameo was Cancelo's ticket back into the starting line up, and he played a starring role in a storming 5-3 comeback win over Augsburg, scoring the equaliser and then setting up the final goal for Davies.

Fede Valverde and Marco Asensio were on target as Real Madrid overcame a poor first half to ease to a 2-0 La Liga win over mid-table Osasuna.

Osasuna had the better chances in the first half on Saturday, forcing injury returnee Thibaut Courtois into a few neat saves. But they couldn't find the net and were ultimately made to pay for it.

After the break, Vinicius Junior had a goal ruled out for offside, before Jon Moncayola lashed a volley just outside the post.

Federico Valverde eventually grabbed the winner, bursting into the Osasuna box to sweep Vinicius Junior's cut-back into the far corner and continue his sudden bounce back inspired in part by good news about his partner's pregnancy.

Marco Asensio added a second in stoppage time to mark a relatively comfortable win.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Estadio El Sadar…

• Goalkeeper & Defence

  Thibaut Courtois (7/10):

  A welcome return to the side with Liverpool looming on Tuesday. Was busier than he would have liked, but will certainly take a clean sheet.

  Nacho (7/10):

  Solid once again at right-back. Has been a bright spot amidst a few rocky weeks.

  Eder Militao (7/10):

  Kept busy in the air against the physical Ante Budimir. Made some excellent defensive recoveries.

  Antonio Rudiger (6/10):

  Could have been sharper in his passing, and was the more exploitable of Madrid's centre-backs.

  David Alaba (6/10):

  Got forward a lot to support Vinicius, but his final ball was lacking. Put in a solid defensive effort to gear up for a potential matchup with Mohamed Salah on Tuesday.

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• Midfield

  Luka Modric (6/10):

  Classy as usual. Seems to be steadily getting his legs back after a rusty January.

  Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):

  Wonderful defensively, and his attacking work is continuously improving. Probably won't start against Liverpool, but made a case for it.

  Dani Ceballos (6/10):

  Retained his spot in the side after a fine run of form. Didn't offer much going forward, and was the first Madrid midfielder to be removed.

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  Attack

  Federico Valverde (7/10):

  He was relatively quiet until he burst into the box for Real Madrid's opener. Not his best showing, but Valverde bagged a vital goal, and his form in that department after a rough post-World Cup stretch is wonderful to witness.

  Rodrygo (5/10):

  Looked a bit lost in a central position. Isn't the answer when Benzema is injured.

  Vinicius Junior (7/10):

  Ran a lot, was fouled a lot. Perhaps should have scored after carving an opening for himself. Provided an excellent assist for Valverde before getting a goal. Deserves more protection from the referees.

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  Subs & Manager

  Marco Asensio (7/10):

  Came on, was quiet, then scored a goal. Job done.

  Dani Carvajal (6/10):

  A surprise cameo after he appeared set for a night off.

  Alvaro Rodriguez (7/10):

  Grabbed a late assist in his La Liga debut.

  Carlo Ancelotti (6/10):

  The Madrid manager took very few risks with a Champions League knockout tie three days away, leaving Karim Benzema and Aurelien Tchouameni out, while benching Dani Carvajal. Got a result, despite an underwhelming showing. All eyes turn to Tuesday.

This summer will be an almighty one for Celtic and everyone associated with the Bhoys.

They are facing a mass exodus of players while the Hoops are still yet to announce a new manager or director of football.

Given the upheaval that could happen, it beggars belief that they haven’t brought in a new boss yet.

Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer look set to leave while a number of their loan players will presumably head back to their parent clubs.

With Diego Laxalt and Jonjoe Kenny faltering, their futures are perhaps more uncertain than Mohamed Elyounoussi’s.

At times this term, the Norwegian has been a shining light. He is their second top scorer on 17 strikes but he has a horrible tendency to blow hot and cold. If anyone defined inconsistency in the Celtic side, it would be him.

A £5m permanent fee has been touted for his services but it would be a surprise if the new hierarchy at Celtic took that offer up.

After all, his performances in the last two games have shown he isn’t worth splashing the cash on. The winger missed a glaring opportunity in the Old Firm and then coasted through their 1-1 draw with Aberdeen without doing much.

Elyounoussi did provide a peach of a delivery for Leigh Griffith’s last gasp equaliser but in the 92 minutes that fell before that, he was abject and on the periphery of proceedings.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-lampard-klimala-ajer-gossip” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

He surrendered possession a considerable 21 times throughout the contest; a number that only Florian Kamberi on the opposition could usurp.

It was a pretty average night for the Southampton loanee who found a target with just 50% of his crosses and failed to provide Celtic with the spark required to win the game.

Of course, Odsonne Edouard was guilty of missing several opportunities but those chances were mainly provided courtesy of Jonjoe Kenny and David Turnbull.

As far as his goalscoring threat goes, Elyounoussi didn’t provide much either. He managed three shots, two of which were blocked while the other one was off target.

It’s highly unlikely that the Norway international will be at Paradise next term, so with that in mind, John Kennedy simply has to axe him from the starting XI.

When the Hoops have such a promising young talent in Karamoko Dembele on the bench, they must unleash him more often; it might just sway contract negotiations.

AND in other news, Major twist may be on the cards in Celtic manager hunt, it’s a hammer blow for Desmond …

The club's academy has a long and proud history of success, producing one superstar after another

From the Busby Babes to the Class of ’92, it is in Manchester United’s DNA to build from within. Perhaps no major club is more synonymous with developing young talent, with homegrown greats Sir Bobby Charlton and Ryan Giggs becoming icons of Old Trafford and the game at large.

There are too many to name all at once. The Babes – many of whom tragically perished in the Munich air crash of 1958 – are part of the soul of the club.

Meanwhile, the Class of ’92 are still adding to their legacy as football club owners, prominent television pundits and more.

And in around those more famous eras was a constant flow of talent, making the United production line unique in the game. Below, GOAL picks out the club's greatest academy graduates…

• Offside Sports
  

  Duncan Edwards

  No list could be complete without Edwards.

  For those who played with or against him, the consensus is that he may have gone on to be regarded the greatest of all time.

  A powerhouse, he was capable of playing almost anywhere and was the crown jewel of Busby's Babes.

  Tragically died as a result of his injuries sustained in the Munich air disaster.

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  Sir Bobby Charlton

  One of the greatest players of all time, Charlton won it all.

  He was both a United legend, who fired them to European Cup triumph in 1968, and an England great, who led the Three Lions to World Cup glory two years earlier.

  Only Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane have scored more goals for England – and only Ryan Giggs has played more games for United.

  Won the Ballon d'Or in 1966.

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  Nobby Stiles

  Another United and England legend, who starred in the '66 World Cup triumph.

  Despite his diminutive stature, Stiles was as hard as they come. His shepherding of Portugal icon Eusebio, in both the World Cup and then again in the 1968 European Cup final against Benfica was a masterclass in the art of marking.

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  George Best

  The most famous footballer of his generation, whose legend lives on to this day.

  Best would leave defenders with twisted blood and was a marketer's dream, with pop-star good looks and a rock-n-roll lifestyle.

  His was a star that burned bright and faded far too soon as his alcohol addiction caught up with him.

  At his peark, he was the poster boy of Busby's last great United team. He won the European Cup but should have gone on to achieve so much more.

For the past four months, Leicester City have clearly been on the lookout for a midfielder.

Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers expressed his intentions to bring in a midfield player in the January transfer window but a move did not materialise, whilst the East Midlanders have recently been linked with the likes of Yves Bissouma, Tomasso Pobega and Boubakary Soumare ahead of potential summer transfers.

However, it might have all been so different had Leicester secured the signature of Weston McKennie under a year ago.

It was reported during the summer 2020 transfer window that the Foxes were interested in the services of the American and were vying with Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers for his signature. Again, a switch did not come to fruition, the then-Schalke 04 man surprisingly signing for Juventus instead.

He has gone on to have an overwhelmingly positive impact in Turin since his arrival. At the time of writing McKennie, rated at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, has made 37 appearances in all competitions for Juve, scoring six goals and providing two assists.

For comparison, only James Maddison and Youri Tielemans of Leicester’s current crop of central midfielders can boast more than the former FC Dallas star’s eight goal contributions this season.

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McKennie’s form has certainly not gone unnoticed by those in Italy, either. Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo has gone as far as to say that the American is a “rock” in the Italian giants’ midfield – a huge compliment considering that he has had to vie with the likes of Arthur Melo, Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot, Rodrigo Bentancur and others for a starting berth.

Considering his excellent displays, Leicester will reflect on a huge mistake in not bringing McKennie to the King Power Stadium last year, a clanger which has only been exacerbated by Rodgers’ reported recent hunt for a midfielder.

AND in more news, take a look at which new deal could be a future clue for Leicester…