Leicester ‘win race’ for £15m Celtic striker; Marcus Rashford in line for shoulder surgery
- Henry Valantine
- 5 March 2021
The Foxes look like they’ll be busy in the summer transfer market, Steve Bruce makes strong comments in his press conference, and more stories from the world of soccer on Friday.
SOCCER: Leicester City believe they have won the race to sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, according to the Daily Mail.
The £15million-rated forward has worked with Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers before, having signed for Celtic from Paris Saint-Germain back in 2017, and Rodgers reportedly sees Edouard as a long-term replacement for Jamie Vardy.
The Mail report that the player, who has just won the Scottish Premiership's Player of the Month award for February, is also keen to work with his former boss again. The attacker's contract expires in a year's time, too, and the Foxes are believed to be confident of securing a move for the Frenchman.
🏆 Congratulations, French Eddy! @Oedouard22 has been awarded @spfl Premiership Player of the Month for February 👏🍋#CelticFC 🍀
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) March 5, 2021
Leicester face reported competition from Arsenal for Edouard's signature, however.
The Mail also report that Leicester are keeping an eye on talented Germany U-21 international, Ismail Jakobs, ahead of a potential summer move.
The versatile left-sided Cologne player has raised eyebrows in the Bundesliga this season, but Leicester are set to battle with Brighton & Hove Albion to sign the youngster, though.
Marcus Rashford set to battle on with shoulder injury before potential summer surgery
SOCCER: Manchester United and England striker Marcus Rashford has been playing through a shoulder injury sustained all the way back in November, and could require surgery after this summer's European Championships, according to the Telegraph.
Rashford has already played 42 times in all competitions for the Red Devils this season, but has recently come into criticism for comparatively lacklustre performances against Chelsea and Crystal Palace.
The striker is a near-certainty to be in the England squad if he's fit for the Euros, however, and he's priced at 40/1 with BetVictor to go out with a bang and end the tournament as overall top scorer. England captain Harry Kane is overall favourite to win the Golden Boot, however, with BetVictor offering best odds of that outcome at 6/1, ahead of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Belgium's Romelu Lukaku at 10/1.
Bruce: "There's no denying I've had a row"
SOCCER: Newcastle manager Steve Bruce admitted on Friday morning that he had a training ground bust-up with midfielder Matt Ritchie, as the Magpies prepare for a crucial match at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Details of the heated exchange were leaked to the Daily Mail, where Ritchie is reported to have called his manager a 'coward' during training in the week. Ritchie has since apologised for his part in the incident, but under-pressure manager Bruce played down the impact of the argument on the squad.
"That happens up and down training grounds every other week," Bruce said to BBC Sport.
A defeat at struggling West Brom would be a disastrous outcome for the Magpies and threaten their Premier League status going into the final stages of the season. Bruce is the favourite to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked, with Paddy Power pricing him at 7/4. Newcastle are 9/5 with Paddy Power to be relegated.
After five consecutive home defeats in a faltering title defence, Jurgen Klopp's odds to be the next Premier League manager to leave their club have been slashed to 5/1, but Paddy Power are offering 15/2 on this outcome.
