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Celtic's search for new players to sign this summer has led them to Ryotaro Ito, with the club keeping an eye on the midfielder according to The Daily Record.

What is the latest news on Ryotaro Ito to Celtic?

The Scottish Premiership side will be keen to strengthen in the close season, especially coming off the back of another successful domestic campaign. The SPL side have bagged another league title and have also claimed the Scottish League Cup to boot.

Ange Postecoglou though will not want to rest on his laurels now, with the manager having claimed four trophies so far during his two-year stint in Scotland. The boss has proven to be efficient in the transfer market so far during his tenure and has often turned to Japan for some of his better players. Postecoglou snapped up Kyogo Furuhashi from Vissel Kobe for example, who has since smashed in 36 goals in 52 league games for the Scottish side. Another notable addition was Daizen Maeda from Marinos, who now has 24 goal contributions of his own during his time with Celtic.

Now, Postecoglou seemingly has his eye on another Japanese target in Ryotaro Ito. According to The Daily Record, the SPL side have sent scouts to watch the midfielder and he is now on their radar ahead of the summer transfer window. With the manager aiming to bring in some more central players, Ito fits the mould too with his positioning.

Should Celtic sign Ryotaro Ito?

The Scottish side have had a proven track record under Postecoglou of identifying, signing and working well with players from the Japanese market and Ito could be another good example of it bearing fruit if they sign him.

The 25-year-old has impressed for Albirex Niigata, helping them to claim the league title in 2022 with his nine goals and eleven assists. He has continued to perform this year too, with the midfielder producing six goals and two assists in the division already despite starting in just eleven fixtures.

He's certainly proven his ability in the J2 and J1 Leagues so far too with his performances, having made history only last month with his current team. Ito scored two goals in stoppage time to bag three goals in a match and became the first player in his league's history to score two goals right at the death to seal a hat-trick. He was also named as the Konami Monthly MVP because of his efforts.

Ito then looks like the real deal already and with Celtic proving to be a good landing spot for exciting Japanese talent, it could be a match made in heaven for the player and club.

Tottenham Hotspur are still on the hunt for a new manager to lead them into next season following Antonio Conte's exit earlier this term.

The Daily Mail recently reported that the club are still hoping to appoint German head coach Julian Nagelsmann as their new boss, following his departure from Bayern Munich earlier this year.

Lilywhites chief Daniel Levy is attempting to pry technical director Lee Dykes from fellow Premier League side Brentford to have a solid structure in place for whoever ends up taking the job.

Whilst the potential duo of Dykes and Nagelsmann could be given funds to reshape the squad in the upcoming transfer window, Spurs could look to their academy for potential first-team contributors.

The ex-Bayern boss showcased his willingness to give young players an opportunity during his time in the Bundesliga and the emergence of Jamal Musiala was one of his biggest success stories, with the youngster scoring 23 goals and providing 18 assists in 73 matches for the manager.

Musiala predominantly plays as an attacking midfielder but can also feature anywhere across the frontline and Nagelsmann could find his next version of the German international if he joins Spurs by unleashing 20-year-old gem Yago Santiago from the U21 side.

Who is Yago Santiago?

The Spanish gem is also a no.10 who can play further up the pitch and on both flanks and his contract was extended until 2024, with the option for a further year, by the club in April, which suggests that they view him as a good prospect moving forward.

He has scored seven goals and provided three assists in 30 appearances in the Premier League 2 and UEFA Youth League combined this season, after managing three goals and five assists in 20 U18 Premier League outings in 2021/22.

The young maestro, who football.london journalist Alasdair Gold hailed as "bright" last year, has shown promise as a goalscorer and creator whilst playing in the youth set-ups and his statistics are not too dissimilar to what Musiala was doing for Bayern prior to his breakthrough.

Before making his first-team bow, the former Chelsea youngster scored eight goals and assisted three in 30 appearances for the German giant's academy side.

Since then, Musiala has scored 30 goals and provided 21 assists in 122 outings for Bayern in all competitions and Nagelsmann could attempt to extract a similar explosion of form from Santiago if he becomes Tottenham's next coach, given the Spaniard's impressive displays at youth level for the club.

Nick Compton has admitted he is playing for his future in the final two Tests of the Investec series against Sri Lanka

George Dobell25-May-2016Nick Compton has admitted he is playing for his future in the final two Tests of the Investec series against Sri Lanka.Compton has scored 15, 26, 0, 19, 6 and 0 in his most recent six Test innings and accepts that, with a Test batting average of 30.16, he hasn’t, to date, taken his “chances with two hands”.But while he concedes he wouldn’t necessarily want to watch himself bat if he were a spectator, he insists he has the skills to contribute to a successful England side and will continue to play his natural game in an attempt to prove it.”Sure, definitely,” Compton says when asked if he is playing for his international future. “You’ve got to score runs. It all comes down to weight of runs and performance. I’ve just got to do it better.”We can talk beyond that about certain things but, fundamentally, if I do my job as well as I can and score the runs I know I can, I can contribute to this England team.”Compton’s skills are somewhat out of fashion. At a time when the world is becoming accustomed to men thrashing centuries in little over 40 deliveries, Compton is offering somewhat more old-world fare: he is offering to see the shine off the new ball and draw the sting from the bowlers. But while he admits his style may lack “glamour”, he still feels it has value.”The way the game’s going, I think people are drawn towards a certain glamour,” he said. “Some players provide that and people want to see more of that.”That’s great, we’re in the entertainment business. It’s about getting bums on seats and I suppose watching Ben Stokes’ 200 is better than watching Compton’s 80. If I’m honest with you, if I was sitting on the couch I’d rather watch Brian Lara, or my late grandfather, or Stokes. That’s what people want to see. I’m by no means unaware of that.”But when you look at it, my job is possibly a little bit tougher, it’s quite an intense role. The new ball is tough when you go in there and the way that I play doesn’t always look that pretty. But I feel like I have made the best of what I’ve been given.”In truth, Compton is an elegant player. It’s just he is, by current standards, a relatively slow scorer. But for those who still take pleasure in a perfectly played forward defensive – and such folk appear to be a dying breed – there is a certain beauty in his batting. He can cut, drive and pull nicely, too, and promises that, given a chance, he will show that he has another gear to his batting.”I don’t want to change my style,” he says. “When you’re not playing well your style doesn’t look so great. It can be really hard work. But we’ve an exciting team of stroke-players and it’s my role to get myself in and try and shield some of those players from the new ball.”I know deep inside me there’s a player in here who could change all those opinions very quickly. I’ve got shots. I’ve got things that I can do and I’ve got to allow them to come out.”But you can’t force that. I’ve tried it before. You need to earn that right. As with any batsman who goes in against the new ball, it’s always a vulnerable time.”Unfortunately, until you do it and people see it in real life there’s no point in me saying anything else. Words are cheap and until you do it consistently there’s not much to be said.”Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For more on Investec private banking, visit investec.co.uk/banking

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that those close to Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani say he is still confident in his offer to buy Manchester United.

What's the latest MUFC takeover news?

It seems as though the Qatari banker has made his final bid in an attempt to try and buy the club out completely from under the ownership of the Glazer Family.

At the same time, British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made his offer which will see him potentially take on around 50% of Man United, meaning Joel and Avram Glazer would still hold a 20% stake.

Amid this intense race for power at Old Trafford, it was been reported that Sheikh Jassim is no longer offering the most attractive proposal as the American family can remain involved if they accept Ratcliffe's offer.

Speaking about this "crazy" bidding war following this latest potential twist on his YouTube channel, however, Romano insisted that there is still confidence that the Qatari-linked offer will be enough to get the takeover done.

He said: "It's also important to say that those close to Sheikh Jassim guarantee that he remains in the race; he remains confident. And he feels his proposal is the best one for Man United.

"So we know there were so many crazy things happening around this Manchester United bid process."

How much money has been offered to take over Man United?

From the Glazer family's point of view, Ratcliffe's offer with Ineos looks set to see their club valued at over £5bn. Sheikh Jassim has reportedly only offered somewhere in the region of £5bn, and so it seems as though there is not much in it.

But if that bid is slightly less and it doesn't allow the Glazers to retain any power with Manchester United, it's not hard to see why they may opt to accept Ratcliffe's bid.

With so much going on, it's hard to predict just how this is all going to end. Still, it's safe to say the Man Utd fanbase has not enjoyed the saga.

Indeed the Manchester United Supporter's Trust (MUST) recently slammed the protracted sale of the club. Weeks ago, in a statement they called for the "process to be concluded without further delay."

With that being the case, they will no doubt be glad to know the final bids have been made. However, many fans will be left feeling rather frustrated if this whole chapter ends and the Glazers remain at Old Trafford.

They may well be hoping Sheikh Jassim is right to remain confident in his bid at this late stage.

Leeds United defender Max Wober may miss this afternoon’s crucial meeting against Bournemouth through injury.

What’s the latest Leeds injury news?

The Whites travel south for this afternoon’s Premier League clash with the Cherries in what appears to be a must-win fixture in their bid to avoid the drop.

They begin the afternoon six points behind Bournemouth, who have won three of their last four, two of which came against relegation rivals Leicester City and Southampton.

Javi Gracia will be without Luis Sinsterra who has been ruled out for the season with an ankle injury, and it looks as if Wober may also miss out.

The Austrian returned from injury last weekend against Fulham but was once again absent in the 1-1 draw with Leicester in the week after missing training on Monday. Leeds correspondent Phil Hay, who was present for Gracia’s pre-match press conference at Thorp Arch, took to Twitter to provide the latest on Wober, saying:

“Wober not training yet. So a doubt for Sunday.”

Not good for Leeds…

Leeds haven’t had much luck when it comes to injuries this season, and being without Wober for large parts of the run-in hasn’t been ideal alongside midfielder Tyler Adams.

Described as an “intelligent” player and “leader” by former manager Jesse Marsch, the January arrival’s presence on the pitch has been noticeable. With Wober, Leeds haven’t conceded more than twice in a game, whereas without him, they have shipped four to Arsenal, five to Crystal Palace and six to Liverpool.

Therefore, as well as the blow to Sinisterra, this update on Wober isn’t ideal for Leeds, but hopefully, they will manage to record just a third away win of the season and return to Yorkshire this evening with three vital points.

Everton will continue their pursuit of Premier League survival this evening when they host Newcastle United in their clash at Goodison Park and will hope that a home advantage will give them the edge needed to defeat their seemingly unstoppable opponents.

The Toffees have fallen further into trouble following Nottingham Forest's victory over Brighton and Hove Albion last night, meaning they are now two points deep into the relegation zone and anything short of three points against Newcastle tonight will put serious pressure on Sean Dyche going into their final fixtures.

Despite their plight, Everton have played some of their best football at Goodison Park this season with five of their six victories secured on home turf, so Dyche will be hoping the home support will be able to create an atmosphere under the floodlights that steers the team in the right direction.

In terms of injuries, Andros Townsend and Ruben Vinagre remain ruled out for the fixture, whilst Amadou Onana and Seamus Coleman will be subjected to late fitness tests to determine whether they will be available for selection after missing out in the last two league games.

Not only that, Everton will be given a massive boost as midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure has served his three-match ban for his altercation with Harry Kane during the Spurs clash earlier this month and will now be available to start in the centre of the pitch.

How could Everton line up vs Newcastle?

Dyche could make two changes to the side that drew with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park at the weekend, maintaining a formation of 4-2-3-1.

Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gueye, Doucoure, McNeil, Gray, Calvert-Lewin.

The first change we expect to see is in the back four with Coleman a doubt and Mason Holgate suspended, it could finally be the perfect opportunity for Nathan Patterson to reprise his role in the right-back position on Merseyside this evening.

The 6-foot dynamo – hailed "impressive" by Danny Murphy – has been out of favour after sustaining injuries over the last few months and has not been selected despite Coleman's injury, however, Dyche may now have his hands tied and will need to offer the starting spot to the young Scotsman.

The second change we expect to see will be in midfield, with Doucoure instantly returning to the starting XI following his suspension, alongside an otherwise unchanged set-up of James Garner and Idrissa Gana Gueye, meaning that Alex Iwobi could be set to miss out.

With that being said, taking a more defensive approach against Newcastle's tenacious attack could help Dyche to avoid replicating Spurs' failure at St James' Park and could keep them in the game long enough to take vital points when the Magpies come to town tonight.

Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is reportedly eyeing a return to Anfield this summer, following a controversial first season at Bayern Munich.

Has Mane been a success at Bayern?

The 31-year-old is an undoubted modern-day Reds great, having played such massive role in their success between 2016 and 2022. He joined from Southampton and hit the ground running immediately, eventually going on to score 120 goals in 269 appearances, as well as winning the Premier League, Champions League and many other trophies.

Mane decided he wanted a new challenge last summer, however, opting to join Bayern in a high-profile move, but his first season there has been an up-and-down one. Having started well, scoring four times in as many matches, a serious leg injury hampered his campaign, with only 15 Bundesliga starts coming his way, not to mention that fact that he cruelly missed Senegal’s 2022 World Cup campaign.

He was also involved in an unpleasant exchange with teammate Leroy Sane after Bayern’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City this week, punching his colleague and earning a suspension and a fine from the club.

It leaves the £250,000-per-week star’s future up in the air ahead of summer, with the club potentially willing to sell him, and a shock return to Liverpool has now been mooted.

Does Mane want Liverpool return?

According to Football Insider and journalist Wayne Veysey, Mane has informed friends that he “misses Liverpool” and would like to return to Anfield at the end of the season. That being said, the Reds “have no plans” to re-sign the forward, even though a Premier League move looks to be the most likely option for him.

There is no denying Mane’s brilliance as a footballer during his peak years, with few players in the Jurgen Klopp era as influential as him – only Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson are arguably ahead of him, in that respect, although that is up for debate.

At 31, his best days are now behind him, however, with that electric burst of pace not quite there anymore, and his all-round impact as a player not as great. For that reason, it makes little sense for Liverpool to bring him back, especially when Klopp will already has Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez to call upon next season.

It would be a needless financial outlay when other positions are more important to strengthen in, such as midfield, and the Reds would be unlikely to see the Mane of old on show.

Newcastle United could seemingly be ready to raid relegation strugglers Leicester City this summer, amid reports that the Magpies are now interested in prising a further player from the King Power Stadium, alongside James Maddison…

What's the latest on Harvey Barnes to Newcastle?

According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, the Tynesiders have been keeping a close eye on Foxes winger, Harvey Barnes, having also held a long-standing interest in teammate Maddison, after reportedly submitting a £50m bid for the latter man last summer.

Writing on Twitter regarding that interest in the Leicester pair, Bailey stated: "Newcastle United have done their homework on Harvey Barnes and he is a summer option for them. The Magpies are already interested in his team-mate James Maddison, but that won't be an easy deal to finalise."

In the attached piece for 90min, the piece goes on to add that Barnes – whose current deal is set to run until 2025 – is 'ready to move' at the end of the season, with the 25-year-old harbouring hopes of establishing himself in Gareth Soutgate's England squad, ahead of next year's European Championship.

Would Harvey Barnes be a good signing for Newcastle?

The notable benefit of signing the former West Bromwich Albion loanee – who is valued at around £22m, according to CIES Football Observatory – would be that he has already proven his quality in the Premier League, having been a real "threat" from the flanks in recent years, as per Statman Dave.

The one-cap menace has been a reliable attacking weapon for Leicester of late despite the club's overall woes, having scored ten goals and provided three assists in all competitions this season, taking his overall tally for his current side to 74 goal involvements in 181 games across all fronts.

A truly direct and dynamic asset in his wide berth, the hope would be that Barnes would be able to dovetail nicely with Newcastle's club-record signing, Alexander Isak, with the towering striker currently in red-hot form with five goals in his last five league outings.

The 6 foot 4 "handful" – as lauded by pundit Harry Redknapp – could no doubt benefit from having another figure to ease the goalscoring burden alongside him, with Barnes clearly rather clinical in front of goal as he ranks in the top 11% among his European peers for non-penalty goals.

Equally, like Isak – who has averaged 2.14 progressive carries per 90 over the past year, as per FBref – the Englishman would also be able to drive Eddie Howe's side up the pitch due to his dribbling prowess, with the £40k-per-week ace averaging 3.34 for the same metric.

To have that deadly duo at their disposal next season could help the Magpies kick on once again, both domestically and – all being well – in Europe.

Graham Potter paid for Chelsea’s poor run of form since Christmas with his job on Sunday as Todd Boehly sacked the Englishman just seven months into his Stamford Bridge tenure.

It perhaps wasn’t a surprise, but Potter may have felt hard done by, especially considering how much he’d spent during the January transfer window.

Thoughts now turn to who could take over with Fabrizio Romano since claiming that Julian Nagelsmann – available after being sacked by Bayern Munich – is “the favourite candidate” to replace Potter.

Boehly may be ready to strike fast and secure one of the game's most talented young managers but it may not be as straightforward as that, with the 35-year-old in no rush to find a new job according to Sky Germany.

This could throw a spanner in the works and might tempt the American to go after another manager for the role and there is one who is free and ready to begin work straight away – Zinedine Zidane.

Could Zinedine Zidane take over at Chelsea?

Zidane was linked with the Chelsea job back in February as growing pressure mounted on Potter following an indifferent start and following the recent news, the Frenchman will surely once again be under consideration.

He is currently unattached so wouldn’t cost any compensation and having managed Real Madrid – arguably the biggest club on the planet – taking over at the Stamford Bridge side shouldn’t daunt him the slightest.

The three-time World Player of the Year took over at the Bernabeu in 2016 following Rafa Benitez’s sacking and led the La Liga side to their finest era since the 1950s, becoming the first coach to win the Champions League three times in a row.

Along with the three European titles, Zidane won two league titles and a handful of other trophies across his two stints at the club and this rate of success may be too tempting for Boehly to turn down.

The 50-year-old's man management skills would bring the best out of these Chelsea players with his methods having worked wonders for players such as Luka Modric, who lavished praise on him while he was coach of Madrid, saying: "Every piece of advice he gives you is like gold dust and it helps you improve on the pitch."

With a points per match average of 2.24 having staggeringly lost just 21 league matches from 183 fixtures, he is a more than adequate alternative for Nagelsmann, who has a PPM average of 1.86 across 243 matches, losing 46 matches.

It speaks volumes for the club that they are in the position to be chasing two of the finest managers in the game, the question is, who will succeed Potter? Zidane could well be the man.

Aston Villa are reportedly eyeing a move for AZ Alkmaar forward Vangelis Pavlidis.

What’s the latest on Villa and Pavlidis?

Unai Emery appears to be on the hunt for a new striker over the coming months, with Ashley Preece previously stating that ‘a new No.9 to partner Ollie Watkins is at the top of Villa's shopping list this summer’.

The club have been heavily linked with a move for former Villa Park loanee Tammy Abraham, however, Pavlidis also seems to be of interest.

Hailed as a "difference maker" in the media for his goal involvements this season, the 24-year-old is primarily a centre-forward but can also turn out as an attacking midfielder or left-winger. Valued at a career-high €12m by Transfermarkt, the Greece international has enjoyed a successful stint in the Netherlands, previously with Willem II.

Pavlidis, sponsored by Nike, netted 33 times for Willem II which resulted in a move to AZ Alkmaar back in 2021, and he has continued to reach double figures in front of goal in the Eredivisie, netting 40 times in 80 appearances for his current employers.

Jeunes Footeux provided an update regarding Pavlidis in the last 48 hours, where Villa were named. They said that the Villans and Premier League rivals are closely following the performances of the forward ahead of a potential move. The report cites a €25m (£22m) fee for Pavlidis, a figure which is within the reach of officials at both Villa Park and Elland Road.

Should Villa bring Pavlidis to the Midlands?

You can see why Emery is after a new forward ahead of his first season in charge, especially after parting ways with Danny Ings back in January.

Ollie Watkins has stepped up to the plate, enjoying a purple patch in front of goal in recent months, however, Villa have been outscored by nine of the 10 teams above them in the table.

Therefore, looking at a potential move for someone like Pavlidis could be a shrewd move, with the forward scoring 10 or more league goals in each of his last four seasons. He appears to be at the peak of his powers with his market valuation and would also provide an option out wide or in behind the striker, should Emery stick with Watkins as his main man in attack.

Adding proven quality in the final third would be a good move, and it looks as if Pavlidis could be the one to come in and rival Watkins and youngsters Jhon Duran and Cameron Archer next season.