The 2025/26 campaign has been testing, to say the least, for Tottenham Hotspur.

After winning the Europa League under Ange Postecoglou, then relieving the Australian coach of his duties, fans were hopeful that a page had been turned, but on the edge of the Premier League season’s midpoint, Thomas Frank’s side are 11th, seven points off the top four.

Still, Crystal Palace were defeated at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon and that represented the turning of a corner. Spurs have more work to complete, but Frank was pleased with his side’s spirit and togetherness and initiative.

However, support is needed ahead of the January transfer window, with Frank’s midfield in particular need of investment.

Spurs' plans to sign a midfielder

Yves Bissouma has not played for Tottenham this season. Disciplinary reasons are behind it. The Malian is likely to leave in 2026, and a replacement must be found, with the partnership of Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur leaving much to be desired.

It was Archie Gray who flicked home with his head to score his first senior goal, securing three points at Palace and continuing Tottenham’s impressive form on the road. Given that Spurs ranked 17th for away form in 2024/25, this is impressive, with more control and mettle on show.

But Gray is young, and Sofascore statistics reveal he has won only 28% of his duels in the Premier League this year. More experience and robustness is needed in the middle of the park.

And according to TEAMtalk’s Dean Jones, Tottenham have held talks with intermediaries over the potential signing of Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka, who is anticipated to leave the Allianz Arena in 2026.

The German, 30, is keen on a move to England after a career in his homeland, and his progressiveness on the ball could be perfect for a Lilywhites outfit who have struggled to create clear-cut chances with enough consistency.

Manchester United sniffed around last summer, and Bayern retorted with £34m transfer demands. Tottenham will be eyeing a lesser fee than that.

Why Goretzka is a Gray upgrade

Gray is a top talent, and Tottenham felt a rush of excitement when they hijacked Brentford’s bid for the Leeds United prospect and signed him for about £30m in 2024.

He has already featured 59 times for the seniors, and is touted as a future Three Lions mainstay. But Gray’s not there yet, and Goretzka would provide Tottenham with the elite experience they need.

Goretzka is into his third decade, but he’s still a force to be reckoned with, a crisp and intelligent distributor with a tenacity that underpins his technical quality.

Quite simply, Frank would open up new midfield dimensions with Goretzka added to the pack. Just look at how he compares with Gray, whose efforts over the past 12 months have left something to be desired in regard to forward passing metrics.

Goretzka vs Palhinha (past 12 months)

Stats (per 90)

Goretzka

Gray

Goals scored

0.11

0.04

Assists

0.04

0.00

Touches

83.47

58.39

Pass completion (%)

91.0

87.2

Progressive passes

7.96

2.31

Progressive carries

2.06

0.74

Shot-creating actions

2.25

0.86

Successful take-ons

0.34

0.39

Ball recoveries

4.88

3.37

Tackles + interceptions

2.74

2.04

Aerial duels won

1.80

0.55

Data via FBref

Gray’s statistics will have been somewhat skewed by his regular trips to defence last season, such was the severity of Spurs’ injury crisis, but it still emphasises his inferiority.

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He is understandably weaker than the £218k-per-week Goretzka, who has been dubbed a midfield “machine” by Die Roten teammate Aleksandar Pavlović, and it is for this reason that Tottenham should leap at the chance to sign him.

This is a German international whose career has been replete with silverware, including the Champions League in 2019/20 and no less than six separate Bundesliga titles.

His versatility as a central midfielder allows him to play in more advanced roles or as an anchor in front of the backline. Both duties require skill on the ball, athleticism and dynamism, and he has all of that and more.

Gray’s time will come, and it’s not as if he isn’t being put to work by his north London employers. But Tottenham clearly need more in midfield if they are to hit their targets across Frank’s first year, and with Goretzka preparing to leave Bayern Munich after so many years, ENIC might want to pounce nice and early, bringing him over for the second half of the season.

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Victor Orta’s record at Leeds United has always divided opinion, especially in recent windows where recruitment has been lacklustre, to say the least.

Despite an injury-ravaged season, the Yorkshire giants failed to bolster Marcelo Bielsa’s playing squad with any additions in January and one damaging theme can be seen in the fact that they haven’t signed a central midfielder for eight successive windows now.

If your ambition is to remain competitive in the Premier League, then that sort of activity is far from good enough.

However, there is plenty to like about what he has done in recent years.

Raphinha is one shining example – having cost only £17m from Stade Rennes in 2020, he has emerged as a standout in the final third, particularly without the injured Patrick Bamford.

His worth is now thought to be in the region of £36m, so Leeds will make a substantial profit on him in the coming years.

And the Spanish supremo hasn’t only hit the jackpot with incomings as he has often made a shrewd decision when it comes to player sales, too, with Jack Clarke the perfect reminder.

Orta played quite the transfer masterclass there, albeit in hindsight.

In July 2019, the young winger joined Premier League outfit Tottenham Hotspur for around £10m plus add-ons, as per the BBC, and as part of the deal he remained at Elland Road on loan for the 2019/20 campaign.

By December, though, that temporary return was cut short due to a lack of game time. He was then sent out to then-Championship rivals Queens Park Rangers, where he also failed to make his mark.

His fortunes took a turn for the worse during another loan stint, this time at Stoke City. His season was ended abruptly due to an Achilles injury, whilst this season, he’s ended up in League One with northeast giants Sunderland.

In five appearances so far, two of which being starts, he has failed to deliver a single goal contribution, as per Transfermarkt, who now value him at a lowly £4.5m – a decrease in value of 55% since Orta sanctioned his departure nearly three years ago.

“He has got a great ability to glide past players. I don’t think I’ve seen a winger really as talented as that, where it looks effortless, just to take somebody on and he really does get you on the edge of your seat, he’s one of those exciting players,” once claimed Whites legend Noel Whelan back when Clarke came through the academy system at Thorp Arch.

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Meanwhile, former Leeds assistant Carlos Corberan – now in charge of Huddersfield Town – once deemed the 21-year-old to be a “huge talent.”

His fall from grace as a one-time promising talent is certainly disappointing to see but from a business and financial standpoint, it was an absolute masterstroke from Orta and co.

For all of his failings at Elland Road, it’s moves like this that should keep the fans onside, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Orta could make “huge statement” at Leeds by hiring 37 y/o “leader” to replace Bielsa…

Alex McLeish has now dropped a claim on Aaron Ramsey amid the injury issues that the Welshman has had since signing for Glasgow Rangers on loan.

The Lowdown: Injury problems for Ramsey

Ramsey made the bench for the Teddy Bears in their 1-0 win at home to Aberdeen on Saturday after missing out entirely on their previous four matches over all competitions.

The Scottish Sun reported earlier this week that the Wales international has flown in his own trusted physios at a personal cost of £30,000 in order to try and help him with his injury troubles.

The Latest: McLeish reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish – who features as a pundit for BBC Radio 5 Live – gave his reaction to Ramsey’s injury worries, claiming that it is ‘very frustrating’ for Rangers and hinting that there may be an ‘underlying issue’.

The former Ibrox manager said: “For Rangers fans, it’s been very frustrating.

“Now, the internet goes mental and everyone goes into a fever pitch, thinking there is something underlying.

“It would be great for him to get back into the team. If there is an underlying issue, I’m sure at some point it will come out in the press.

“If it’s just a case of getting of reaching a certain level, that’s a mindset thing.

“When he got Wales to the semi-finals at the Euros a few years ago, I put him in the world class bracket.

“Everyone was flabbergasted when he came to Rangers but we have to see him ASAP. Time is running out and he needs to get cracking.”

The Verdict: Worrying

There is no doubt that Ramsey’s injury niggles are worrying for Rangers, given the history that he has in that regard. He reportedly suffered a minor knock a couple of weeks ago, but it seems as if he has still not been able to fully recover from that particular setback.

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Gers supporters will surely be hoping that the 31-year-old’s physios can do the work needed to boost his fitness, so that Giovanni van Bronckhorst can use him more regularly from now until the end of the season.

In other news: find out which Rangers man’s performance against Aberdeen was slammed by some reporters

Wolves succumbed to their third Premier League defeat in a row this afternoon with a 2-0 loss against Crystal Palace at Molineux.

An opening goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta followed by a penalty from Wilfried Zaha in the first half secured the three points for Patrick Vieira’s side, who will be travelling back to south London in a buoyant mood.

Despite the disappointing result from a Wolves point of view, one player who did anything but disappoint Bruno Lage in terms of his performance was Fernando Marcal.

With the full 90 minutes under his belt, the Brazilian showed his manager just how useful he can be in an attacking and defensive sense with and without the ball.

Having racked up 80 touches of the ball against the Eagles, Marcal ended up making 46 accurate passes, which included two long balls and one key pass.

In addition, the 33-year-old – who was tipped to add a “huge amount of experience” to the team by Jeff Shi when he arrived at Molineux in 2020 – posted one shot on target and completed all three dribbles that he attempted.

From a defensive point of view, the £1.35m-rated Brazilian made five tackles, three interceptions and one clearance, also blocking one shot and winning 80% of his ground duels, which goes to show how important he was in making sure his side didn’t have an even worse day at the office.

This display ultimately earned the defender an overall match rating of 7.6/10 from SofaScore, making him the highest-rated outfield player for the Molineux outfit on the day and arguably Lage’s only shining light on what was another frustrating afternoon for the 45-year-old.

With the Old Gold now losing three consecutive league games for the first time since the opening weeks of the season, the manager now has a challenge on his hands to revive their fortunes if he wants them to be in with a shot of securing European football for 2022/23.

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Taking into account Marcal’s performance today, it would seem likely that he could be an important figure for Wolves in the next few weeks and months, especially if he can keep delivering consistently strong displays up and down the pitch.

In other news – Fosun masterclass: £74k-p/w “weak link” has seen his value drop 40% after Wolves exit

Pundit Alan Hutton believes both Celtic and Rangers could slip up in the final eight games of the season, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s fine form

The Hoops have been almost perfect in the Premiership following the winter break, dropping just two points from a possible 30.

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They returned to the top of the table with a 3-0 win over their rivals at the beginning of February and have increased their lead over Rangers to three points.

All of the club’s focus is now on domestic football after being dumped out of the Europa Conference League by Bodo/Glimt, with the Hoops still in the Scottish Cup too, where they face Dundee United in the quarter-finals on Monday.

The Latest: Hutton’s comments

Former Ibrox man Hutton, who contributes for BBC Radio 5 Live, was talking to Football Insider in a story shared on Wednesday.

He was asked for his thoughts after Ange Postecoglou said his side will be a “hard team to stop” following the win over Livingston on Sunday. This is what Hutton had to say in reply, admiring the Celtic boss but predicting more twists and turns.

“There are only eight games left, that is it. It’s not like there are loads to go. There are only eight games to go and two of them are Old Firm games.

“It may come down to that. I’ve still got a feeling both teams could possibly drop points elsewhere, which is obviously a worry.

“What I like about Ange Postecoglou is he’s very open and honest. He doesn’t try and pull the wool over anybody’s eyes. If they get beat, he tells it how it is, if they win, he tells it how it is.

“He feels his team are a winning team, a team that’s capable of probably going eight games unbeaten. He’s confident of that and it’s good to hear that but I think Rangers are very similar at the moment.

“Yes, their form’s been a bit up and down but they’re more than capable of going on a winning run.”

The Verdict: Rangers games key?

With just eight games to go, you’d expect the two Glasgow derby fixtures will have the major say in the race for the Premiership title.

However, the Hoops are three points clear and have a better goal difference than Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side, so Postecoglou’s side could even pick up just one point from a possible six against Rangers and still possibly lift the title.

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They won’t want to do it that way of course, but it looks set to go down to the wire over the coming months.

In other news: ‘Oh my god…’ – Celtic pundit fuming at ‘unbelievable’ news he’s hearing from Parkhead. 

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist and transfer ‘insider’ Dean Jones has made an interesting West Ham United claim involving David Moyes and Said Benrahma.

The Lowdown: Hot and cold?

The Algerian winger has blown hot and cold under Moyes throughout 2021/22, often producing moments of sheer brilliance followed by spells of inconsistency.

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On the one hand, only Michail Antonio (eight goals, seven assists) and Jarrod Bowen (eight goals, eight assists) have racked up a greater total of goal contributions than Benrahma (five goals, six assists) among West Ham’s squad in the Premier League so far (WhoScored).

The former Brentford star also ranks among Moyes’ top five most potent threats when it comes to shots at goal, key passes and completes dribbles per 90 on average (WhoScored).

However, Benrahma has also been slammed for some of his performances, with  Gabriel Agbonlahor firing some sharp criticism his way recently. Speaking to Football Insider, the ex-Aston Villa striker branded the 26-year-old ‘overrated’, claiming that he ‘drifts out of games’ too often.

The Latest: Jones makes interesting claim…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, insider Jones believes that Moyes wants 29-year-old long-time transfer target Jesse Lingard over Benrahma in the attacking areas.

The journalist explained: “I think he’d prefer to have Lingard than Benrahma, mainly because he’s a better footballer.”

The Verdict: Give him time…

Benrahma has shown on more than one occasion that he has plenty of ability and can become a pivotal player for West Ham if he can turn it on consistently.

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Former West Ham player Joe Cole has raved over the Algerian for some of his performances, particularly in the Europa League, calling the Hammers ace ‘unplayable’ at times live on BT Sport (via Read West Ham).

The 26-year-old is a tricky and skilful asset in the final third, and with time, he could become a very important player for Moyes, if indeed he isn’t one already.

In other news: GSB prepare West Ham bid to sign ‘big name’ player everyone is ‘crazy about’…find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur have no plans to sell winger Lucas Moura in the summer, despite the arrival and instant impact of Dejan Kulusevski.

The Lowdown: Moura struggling for starts

Whilst the 29-year-old has featured 17 times for Antonio Conte, just nine of these appearances came in the starting XI. More recently, the Brazilian has been utilised as an impact player off the bench, sometimes receiving a token ten minutes towards the end of games.

His recent omission from the starting XI comes as a consequence of Kulusevski’s arrival. Since arriving in N17 at the end of January, the 21-year-old has made a remarkable start to life with Tottenham. After featuring as a substitute in his first two Premier League games, the former Juventus man has since started every league fixture, duly relegating Moura to bench.

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The Latest: Moura’s future at Tottenham

According to a fresh report from Football Insider, Tottenham have no plans to offload the 29-year-old in the summer, despite the instant impact made by Kulusevski.

It is reported that the Lilywhites regard the former Brazil international as a key member of their squad, so they want to hold onto him beyond the summer.

Conte is said to be an admirer of Moura, with the Italian been impressed with the forward’s match-winning qualities.

The Verdict: Squad depth needed

If Spurs are to sustain a push for top four and a strong run in European competition next term, squad depth will surely play a pivotal part in the journey.

Moura has previously demonstrated his ability to come good on the big occasion, having played a crucial role in Tottenham’s fantastic run to the Champions League final in 2018/19, when he netted a sensational hat-trick in the dramatic semi-final against Ajax.

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As a substitute, the 29-year-old’s electric pace often proves too much for tired defenders, although it is often other areas of his game which go unnoticed. Indeed, Spurs legend Ledley King has hailed him as “one of the best little men … in the air” due to his “unbelievable spring”.

Therefore, if Conte needs an alternative to Kulusevski’s direct play, Moura could be the one to provide just that, so it’s little wonder that the club want to keep him around.

In other news: Tottenham begin talks over this reported transfer target

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst is still in with a chance of sealing a sensational first term in charge of the Ibrox club between now and May.

He still has the opportunity to lift the Premiership, Europa League and Scottish Cup titles before the campaign comes to an end, having taken over the keys in the first half of the season.

They are second in the league, in the quarter-finals of the European competition and into the last four of the domestic cup, which shows that they are within touching distance of major success.

The ex-Feyenoord boss is not the first Dutch manager to step foot in the dugout at Ibrox. Dick Advocaat was in charge of the Glasgow giants for three years and managed 195 games – winning an impressive 135 of those as his team scored 427 times during his tenure and won the domestic treble in his first campaign.

However, Advocaat was not perfect and cost the Gers millions with one shocking transfer decision in 2000. He opted to sign Norweigan striker Tore Andre Flo from Chelsea for a reported fee of £12m and it ended up being a disaster for the club.

Despite bringing the talented centre-forward in for a club-record fee, Rangers did not win a single trophy in the 2000/01 campaign. He scored a respectable 13 goals in 22 matches in all competitions but did not do enough to bring home any silverware that year as Celtic pipped them to the trophies.

In the following season, Advocaat left Rangers in January and Alex McLeish took over. Flo found top form as he bagged himself 25 goals in all competitions across 46 appearances – showing that he was more reliable in terms of availability and his end product.

However, his goals were – again – not enough to win the title for the Gers as the Hoops snatched it up again and the club opted to cut their losses on him in the summer of 2002.

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They sold him to English side Sunderland for a reported fee of £6.75m ahead of the 2002/03 campaign, which meant that Rangers lost £5.25m on the striker in just two years.

This means that the club failed to be successful on the pitch with him in the side and made a huge loss on his value in a short space of time. Therefore, Advocaat cost the Gers millions with his decision to bring the forward to Ibrox for such a big transfer fee, as he did not live up to the hype and was unsuccessful on and off the pitch as a player and as an investment.

AND in other news, Huge boost: 3-word Rangers update will leave Van Bronckhorst buzzing…

West Bromwich Albion travel the short distance across the midlands to St Andrew’s today to face Birmingham City in an exciting local derby.

The Baggies still have an outside chance of sneaking into the play-offs but know anything other than victory will likely put them out of the running.

But with five of their eight games left being at home, they have a huge advantage.

They went into the international break on the back of a four-game unbeaten run and will hope to continue that against the Blues who have only won one in their last six.

On the chalkboard

There’s good news heading into the game with Andy Carroll returning from injury having suffered a slight knock before the international break.

Bringing Carroll back into the side will provide a different test for Birmingham City with him being described as “unplayable” by former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips.

The 33-year-old striker will be hungry to impress and deserves the chance having only started three times since moving to the Hawthorns in January.

Carroll would fit perfectly in a front three alongside Karlan Grant and Callum Robinson who have forged an expert partnership this season, scoring 20 times between them.

The former England international has proved time and time again that when he is fit he can be relied on and when it comes to aerial battles and holding the ball up. He has won a mighty 6.7 aerial duels per game in 2021/22 for the Baggies and 5.8 per match throughout his career so you’d struggle to find anyone better.

Those statistics make for eye-catching reading and demonstrate why he could terrify the Blues’ defence on Sunday afternoon.

He can also lean on the bags of Premier League experience he has, including two stints at his boyhood club Newcastle, most recently when now Baggies boss Steve Bruce was in charge.

During the £720k-rated striker’s first spell at the Toon, he scored 20 goals and provided 13 assists in just 53 matches in his first two seasons.

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Carroll’s chances of playing will also be boosted by an injury to fellow striker Daryl Dike with Bruce confirming that he is unlikely to feature for West Brom for the rest of the season.

The American striker joined the Baggies for £7m in January but suffered an injury in his first game and hasn’t been able to make a start since.

With a win crucial for West Brom today, and with their opponents failing to score in 347 minuites, it could be the perfect chance for Carroll to prove himself.

AND in other news: “Exciting” 21 y/o out as Bruce faces stick-or-twist dilemma; Predicted West Brom XI…

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has introduced a new system and way of playing at Parkhead with his 3-4-2-1 formation, and there may be some players who do not make it through the transition.

Liam Scales, for example, is one player who has struggled under the French. He scored an own goal against Roma and was caught under the flight of the ball for Jonah Ayunga’s goal for St Mirren in the League Cup final after starting the manager’s first three games.

Since that mistake at Hampden, the Ireland international has had to settle for coming off the bench against Dundee United and Aberdeen in the last two Scottish Premiership matches, with Auston Trusty preferred as the only natural centre-back in the back three.

Celtic open talks to sign new defender

The Scottish giants are now looking at potentially bringing in a new player who could come in and take Scales’ place in the squad in the long term.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to the Daily Record, Celtic have opened talks to sign 17-year-old central defender Vinny Leonard from Dundalk in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Hoops have made an approach to snap up the teenage centre-back, having ‘ramped up’ their interest in him, and they are now in talks with the Irish side.

It adds that Genoa, Lyon, and Norwich have also been linked with the talented youngster, which means that it will not be an easy deal to get done, but it is Celtic who are in talks with Dundalk over a transfer.

The Daily Record also reveals that the Premiership champions are hoping to agree a deal that would see Leonard return to Dundalk until the end of the season, as he is unable to join the club until his 18th birthday, which is in March.

Why this is bad news for Liam Scales

Whilst Celtic are unable to bring Leonard in to bolster their squad for the second half of the season, due to his age, they could get him in ahead of pre-season next summer.

This means that Scales is not in immediate danger of losing his place in the squad, but a deal for the youngster could put the Ireland international’s long-term future at Parkhead in doubt.

The current Celtic defender needs to improve his performance levels in the short and medium term in order to prove to Nancy that he has the quality to be a long-term option for the French boss, as his recent displays have not been good enough.

After those errors that led to him moving to the bench, Scales lost 100% (3/3) of his aerial duels off the bench against Dundee United and 100% of his ground duels (1/1) against Aberdeen, per Sofascore.

What could make the Irishman sweat is that Leonard appears to be an incredibly exciting prospect, based on his impressive performances for Dundalk at first-team level and for Ireland’s youth sides.

The 17-year-old star started 33 games in the Irish 1st Division in the 2025 campaign, per Sofascore, and helped his side to keep nine clean sheets, whilst he scored four goals from centre-back.

2025 U17 World Cup

Vinnie Leonard

Appearances

5

Sofascore rating

7.28

Goals

1

Ground duel success rate

67%

Aerial duel success rate

70%

Error led to goal

0

Penalties committed

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Leonard also caught the eye at the U17 World Cup last month, as Ireland made it to the last 16, by dominating opposition attackers on the ground and in the air, whilst playing in a back three.

Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Celtic transfer insight Want fuller context? Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth Celtic coverage — transfer targets, youth scouting, tactical fit and squad implications. Read detailed breakdowns explaining what signings like Vinny Leonard mean for selection and the team’s setup. Subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Celtic transfer insight Want fuller context? Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth Celtic coverage — transfer targets, youth scouting, tactical fit and squad implications. Read detailed breakdowns explaining what signings like Vinny Leonard mean for selection and the team’s setup.

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After Scales struggled in the air and on the deck in recent matches under Nancy, Celtic signing a dominant young centre-back who can play in his position as a left-footed defender must sound some alarm bells for the Hoops man.

Leonard, as explained in the clip above, also has the technical ability to provide “immense” distribution out from the back, with Richie Towell hailing the “range” of passes that he can produce.

This suggests that the Irish youngster has the quality in possession to be effective in a dominant Celtic side that often needs to break down low blocks, which is another reason why he could be an excellent addition.

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Therefore, this latest rumour is bad news for Scales because Leonard has the defensive and technical potential to arrive at Parkhead and take his place in the 2026/27 campaign.